


Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

by OtakuGirl11324



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abusive John Winchester, Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Angst, BAMF Castiel (Supernatural), Caring Castiel (Supernatural), Catboy Dean, Dark, Dean Has Self-Worth Issues, Demi creatures, Depressed Dean, Depression, Drug Use, Drugs, Explicit Sexual Content, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gang Violence, Gang War, Gentle Castiel (Supernatural), Happy Ending, Illegal Activities, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Language Kink, M/M, Mafia AU, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Murder, Omega Dean, Omega shaming, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Past Abandonment, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Prostitution, Possessive Castiel (Supernatural), Protective Castiel (Supernatural), Rape/Non-Con (not Dean/Cas), Russian Castiel (Supernatural), Russian Mafia, Slave Trade, Slow Burn, Smoking, Some OOC, Suicidal Thoughts, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tattooed Castiel (Supernatural), True Mates, Unplanned Pregnancy, Wing Kink, Winged Castiel (Supernatural), Worried Dean, but before that there's, but surprisingly fluffy, eventually, half-breed Castiel, half-breed Dean, hovertext, omega slurs, such as, talk of prostitution
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:34:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 23
Words: 64,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23691685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtakuGirl11324/pseuds/OtakuGirl11324
Summary: There are a couple of things Dean knows.1) He’s not gonna die pretty2) Never mess with an angry Russian3) And … what the hell? Sam?!Or in other words:The one where Dean is down on his luck until he meets the Russian angel and he somehow joins the Russian Mafia as a bride to be and Sam is relevant.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 463
Kudos: 652





	1. Under Pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've made an executive decision ... and will probably regret it, but I'm posting this new story I've been working on for a little while. I have other stories that I need to finish, but my muse isn't in those at the moment (though I will finish them eventually). And given our recent circumstances, I'm finding myself wanting a sense of community again. That being said, I haven't finished this story, so if you like it, please be sure to tell me and I'll update as fast as I can.
> 
> Hint: More comments means more fuel to update!
> 
> I have a lot to say in this so bear with me for a moment please xD I promise I won’t write this much at the beginning of all the chapters.
> 
> First, I'm shit at summaries, so if you're here after reading that, thank you xD
> 
> I honestly have no idea how this fic turned into what it did. It started off as an idea of gentle, plant-loving Cas and sad, lonely Dean. Then Cas turned Russian, then he turned into an alpha, then he became the leader of the mafia without consulting me, then he sprouted wings when I wasn’t paying attention. Now I’m here.
> 
> That being said, this is my first story with the main character as someone with major mafia involvement. I did research, but I could have easily messed some things up, so I apologize if you catch something that’s wrong. Don't be afraid to call me out on it. Constructive criticism is welcome.
> 
> Disclaimer. I only know how to say “hi” in Russian. Do with that what you may.
> 
> I feel like I need to explain the Demis in this world just a little. There are Demis of all animals, like birds, bears, wolves, panthers, snakes, etc. Dean is a Demi cat and Cas is a Demi Hawk. I wanted to make this world a little different than other ABO worlds, but Demis are similar to Weres if you’ve read other stories where they are called so.
> 
> Not all Demis have animal traits though. Only if a human and a shifter have a kid will that kid have animal traits like wings or tails or ears. So Cas and Dean are known as half-breeds. Dean does have cat ears and tail and slitted pupils, just like Cas has wings. Half-breeds are looked down on in society because humans and pure-shifters think they’re abominations.
> 
> Awful Russian Translations (A.R.T.s) are in the end notes!! But they are also in hover text (click if on mobile)!
> 
> Work Title: Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Set it Off  
> Chapter Title: Under Pressure by Queen  
> Every chapter will have the song title and artist for those who are interested. Lyrics of the songs don’t necessarily have anything to do with content!
> 
> .....I really need someone to just kick me in the butt until I finish my WIPs... I'll get there, I swear

The headlight of Dean’s motorcycle illuminates the snow-covered street in front of him while he sits at the only stoplight in Vinegar Hill. He was really hoping he wouldn’t get caught at it, sitting here alone in the dead of night in Vinegar Hill is asking for trouble. 

The winter wind feels like it blows right through him. Winter riding isn’t ideal, but when a motorcycle is all you have to drive, you make due. His tail curls around his waist and flicks on his lap in anticipation for the light to turn green. His ears would be twitching too if it weren’t for his helmet flattening them. It doesn’t help that the stoplight malfunctions all the time, sticking on one color for too long. 

He shivers, when another gust of wind blows past him. His heartbeat increases the longer he sits here, even the rumble of his bike’s engine isn’t doing anything to soothe his nerves. If he sits here any longer, his anxious scent is sure to draw attention to anyone who is still up. 

He just wants to crawl into bed and block out the rest of the world for a few hours. To curl up in the blankets and warm up. He’s so close to home too.

Of course, the universe has other plans for him.

The acidic scent of omega in distress hits him like a ton of bricks; it’s so strong he nearly chokes on it. When he gets past the acidic scent, he smells something that has the hair on the back of his neck standing up.

One, two … three. No, four alphas in rut. 

Shit, that poor omega must have gotten caught by the alphas. And it’s no coincidence having four alphas in the peak of their rut at the same exact time in a group like this. No, they had to of taken that new drug that’s been circulating the city like the plague. It makes them more aggressive. Double shit.

Before he can think about what he’s doing, he’s switching the bike to park and getting off, not bothering to take off his helmet. He pulls the pistol from the back of his pants, double checking to see if it’s loaded before running in the direction the scent is coming from. 

He comes up to an alley to find what he was expecting. Four alphas, all of which are half-breeds like Dean, trying to undress a skinny, young, omega cat-boy. The thing Dean doesn’t expect is that the boy has a collar on to signify he’s someone’s omega. The omega is in revealing clothes, signifying he’s either a prostitute or a stripper. That’s probably how it all started. That kind of work for omegas, and even some alphas and betas, is common around these parts. 

Dean growls warningly as he raises his gun, finger resting on the trigger. “Get offa him.” 

The four alphas freeze and turn to face him, holding the cat-boy by the pressure point on the back of his neck. He’s gasping and clutching at the hand on his neck, staring at Dean with wide eyes. 

One of the alphas steps towards him with a growl, his red eyes glaring at him. “Get outta here, bitch. Unless you wanna take his place.” 

Dean scoffs at him. “You could try big boy, but none of you could handle me.” Dean knows taunting an alpha in rut is never smart, but it will get them off the man and their attention on Dean. His plan works. 

The alpha that’s holding the omega throws him into the snow and takes a couple steps towards Dean with the other three. “Is that right, whore? Are you one of this prostitute’s buddies?”

Dean narrows his eyes. “That’s right, princess.” 

The alphas move towards Dean, but Dean waits until they’re a safe distance from the omega before he snarls, “Run, man.” Dean sees the omega scramble to his feet, but he doesn’t run immediately. Dean doesn’t take his eyes off the snarling alphas when he roars, “Run!” and thankfully, he does this time. Now he can focus on getting his own sorry ass out of this. 

The alphas whip around to watch the omega disappear around a corner. When he’s out of view, they growl and glare at Dean with lust clouded eyes filled with rage. 

Ruts fucking suck.

“You’re mine now, you uncollared bitch.” One of the alphas spits. “You owe me that much.” 

Dean turns his gun to the alpha that’s speaking to stop him from advancing, and he slowly inches back to get to his bike. “What I owe you is a bullet in the knee. If you come closer, I’m inclined to give it to you.”

Another alpha chuckles darkly. "You don’t have the balls.” 

Dean smiles and pulls back the hammer. “Are you sure enough that you’d wanna bet on it?” Dean finally passes the entrance of the alleyway. That means he’s not too far from his bike and he can get out of here. “Make sure to think with your upstairs brain before you answer that question. I know it’s real hard right now, but I’m confident you can do it if you get your brain out of your knot.” 

There’s no way he’s gonna be able to make to his apartment safely, not to mention he doesn’t want them to know where he lives. There’s no doubt in his mind they’re gonna chase him either, so that means he’s gonna have to lose them. 

God, he hopes he didn’t just dig his own grave by saving that kid. Even if he did, he doesn’t care. He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he let him get raped. 

He feels the heat of his bike warming the back of his legs. As swiftly as possible, he puts the safety on the gun and tucks it in his pants while swinging his leg over to straddle the seat. In two seconds he has the bike in gear and he twists the throttle, ignoring the red light and flying down the snowy road with his heart in his throat. 

This is gonna make one hell of a New Year’s Eve.

He doesn’t bother trying to stop at his place, instead he flies right past it. It’s a good thing he does too, because it doesn’t take long for a pair of headlights to catch up behind him. Even if he had made it to his apartment and locked it tight, something tells him that a wooden door wouldn’t stop four enraged, drugged out, rutting alphas. 

He clenches his jaw and gives the throttle a twist to give it more gas. He makes a sharp turn, trying to lose them, but there’s a squealing of tires and he knows he didn’t manage it. Up ahead he sees the omega he saved on the phone, a hand wringing his tail frantically. Dean curses, hoping the alphas will have their sights on him and ignore the boy. He goes straight past the boy and keeps on that road for a second to make it easy for them. 

When he feels he made it a good distance from him, and the headlights are still behind him, he makes a sharp turn down an alley. He swerves the garbage and objects littered throughout and comes out on the other side a minute later. He turns in the direction he came from and goes back in the direction of Vinegar Hill.

There aren’t any headlights behind him and he thinks he actually lost them. 

Of course he isn’t that lucky. 

A car flies through an intersection like a bat outta hell and the tires squeal when it drifts to the side and faces Dean. Dean curses under his breath and makes a sharp u-turn, gunning it away from Vinegar Hill. 

How the hell did they get in front of him?

They must have backed up and turned at the intersection he passed previously. God, dammit!

He swerves a little on a patch of ice, but quickly straightens and speeds up. He makes twists and turns but no matter how many he makes, he can’t shake the damn parasites. 

Before he realizes it, he’s heading into a part of the city that is dead at night. There’s nobody around because there’s only warehouses and freight ships. When he realizes where he’s at, he curses under his breath and scopes the area for an exit frantically. It’s hard to do since it’s night and there are no lights here. 

This is probably the worst place to be right now. Actually, no, there’s no probably about it. This is, one hundred percent, the worst place to be right now. They’re gonna catch him and he’s gonna die and nobody will ever find his body. 

God, he fucked up.

He fucked up and he’s never going to be able to see his little brother again. Sam will never know what happened to him. 

The thing is, would Sam even care? 

The thought makes Dean’s heart physically hurt. He isn’t paying attention and when he sees he’s heading straight for a giant metal freight box, he curses under his breath and jerks the bike to the side. It doesn’t help much. Because of the ice, he still collides with it but thankfully he’s able to keep himself upright.

The bad part is that that made it so they’re right on his ass. He goes to turn around a freight box, but he doesn’t get the chance before he’s being rear ended and thrown from his bike. There’s a cacophony of scraping metal, and he hits the ground rolling uncontrollably until he collides with another metal box. The collision causes an instant headache.

He doesn’t have time to get up before he’s being illuminated by headlights. The sound of car doors being shut is deafening over the gentle waves coming from the water where the ships dock. He scrambles to his feet, trying to hold himself steady as his head spins, tail swishing warningly behind him and he grabs his gun again.

“Looks like you do wanna make that bet, huh?” His voice is muffled from his fully enclosed helmet, but he doesn’t take it off. It gives him a modicum of safety that he could use right now. It protects his neck a little too, so grabbing the pressure point will be more difficult if he hunches his shoulders up to his ears. It’s four rutting alphas to one omega. Statistically, he’s screwed. 

The men are advancing him confidently, and Dean begins to feel like a cornered animal. He may be the one with the gun, but he knows this isn't going to end well for him. He'll be sure to thank himself for getting himself into this situation later.

The alphas don't appear to be at all deterred by Dean waving a gun in their faces. Which, all things considered, isn't too much of a surprise seeing they're gangsters from Vinegar Hill. They’re also part of Alistair's gang if the satanic cross on their neck is anything to go by. 

Mega bummer, since Alistair has it out for Dean after he gave the bastard a black eye and crooked nose.

"You know, since I'm such an upstanding guy, I'm gonna give y'all a third warning." He pulls back the hammer and moves his finger to curl around the trigger.

Unfortunately, it appears the parasites have reached a stage in their ruts where they lose all cognition. Not that alphas actually lose cognition during ruts, they just like to use that as an excuse. That drug is too new for Dean to know too much about what it does to the senses either.

The moment the boar half-breed lunges, all hell breaks loose. Dean's pistol cracks through the bitter winter air and the bullet launches itself directly in Boar's kneecap. He howls in pain and momentarily nosedived into the snow-covered asphalt.

Bear was right behind Boar though, so Dean doesn't have time to hesitate. He deftly twists and aims at Bear. In that second it took to shoot Boar, Bear got uncomfortably close. Dean fires twice in quick succession. The impact to his shoulder sends Bear staggering back and tripping over his still running bike. He falls over the machine and collides with a nearby metal freight box. Thankfully, it appears to knock him unconscious. 

Snake and Rat attack in unison. Dean would laugh at the irony if the severity of the situation was any less. 

He jumps out of the way of one attack and straight into the other's. He brings his arms up, tucking them close, and blocks himself from the side hit. He thrusts the barrel of his gun hard into Rat's throat and that's when Dean gets hit in the shoulder so hard it’s ripped right out of place with a loud ‘pop’. 

This causes him to drop his gun. He shouts and staggers back, hand shooting to his shoulder as if it’ll subdue the pain radiating from the joint. He doesn't have time to see who hit him because Snake is attacking again, but Dean can guess it was Boar since Bear is taking a little siesta in Snoozeville. 

Dean puts distance between him and the two conscious alphas in front of him. By doing so, arms wrap around him from behind; Boar’s presumably. 

Dean lets his knees give out and he’s like dead weight in his arms making it so the alpha can’t grab his pressure point on the back of his neck. It’ll all be over the moment he feels a hand on his neck. 

Just like he planned, the alpha’s arms tighten around him to refrain his prize from escaping. Using this to his advantage, Dean rockets himself up, connecting the top of his helmet with Boar’s jaw. Boar’s head snaps back and his jaw makes an audible click. Dean wouldn’t be surprised if he broke some teeth with that force. 

_ Poor baby _ , Dean thinks sarcastically.

When Boar’s arms release him, Dean uses his only working arm to deliver an elbow to his face. A sickening crack fills the air, accompanied by the scent of blood to signify he broke the alpha’s nose. He swiftly trips the alpha and Boar cracks his head on the ground, rendering him unconscious. 

Two down. Two to go.

He’s brought back to the fight when he feels a thin blade pierce his side. He gasps, his hand automatically falling on top of the blade protruding from his abdomen. The blade is ripped out and he stumbles back.

"Dude, why the hell did you stab him?!" Rat hisses. "He's gonna die before we get to fuck him. I'm not fucking a corpse!"

"The bitch'll live long enough. This'll just make him weaker." Snake sneers.

The next minute is a battle of wills. They both attack, hitting and scratching, trying to grab and pull him. His clothes are getting torn to shreds and his leather jacket is ripped off him along with helmet somewhere along the line. With only one arm to defend himself, he's holding his own pretty well. 

One of them kick him in the knee, knocking him to the ground. He twists his ankle on the way down, but he takes Rat with him. Dean falls close to where he dropped his gun and before Rat can remove more of Dean's clothes, Dean grabs his gun and whirls around, clocking him directly in the temple. 

He's out cold.

By this time, Dean is panting heavily and he's barely standing. He's losing too much blood and his vision is swimming. He shivers from the cold. It isn't helping that he's sweating from working so hard. 

God, he can't feel his fingers.

Snake hisses a laugh and advances confidently. "Looks like I don't gotta share you now, bitch. Thanks for tiring yourself out and taking out the competition." Snake looks him up and down and whistles. "Damn, you're pretty without that helmet and those clothes blocking the view." 

Dean only snarls at him, the only thing keeping him going is the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He barely has a shirt on, seeing it's been torn and shredded. His jeans are in no better state. 

"If you're so confident," Dean has to take a moment to catch his breath before continuing. "Why are you keeping your distance?" This response gets a growl from Snake and Dean smirks. "Come and get me, princess."

With that, Snake dives right for Dean, seeming to forget he has his gun back in his haste. Dean aims and shoots both kneecaps. Snake collapses to the ground in a howl of pain, catching himself before he face-plants. He snaps his head up and glares at Dean, but the moment he looks up, Dean uses the last of his energy to kick him in the temple. His head falls to the ground and that mark's number four to enter the Snoozeville Inn.

The moment it hits him that he won, he falls against the brick wall, his legs giving out on him and he crumbles to the ground in a heap. His gun falls to the ground beside him. The asphalt and brick wall is hard and unwelcoming, yet it’s sharing its cold with him. His body is shivering uncontrollably and the air hurts to breathe it’s so frigid. Or perhaps it’s because he probably has some kind of internal bleeding. 

And external bleeding, he adds as an afterthought.

He’s probably dying, he thinks sardonically.

He’d laugh, but he needs the energy for something else. It takes digging into his deepest energy reserves to be able to bring the cigarette to his lips, letting it hang here for a second while he pulls his lighter out and lights it up. When he takes a deep pull, his arm falls unceremoniously to his lap. 

Much better.

His eyes drop to the four unconscious bodies he left littering the shipyard, his vision going a little blurry and he feels sick. Cringing at the throb in his side, he futilely tries stopping the blood from pouring from his wound. He can’t put the pressure on it that it requires.

Dean isn't a religious man, but he feels as if this is God trying to tell him his time has come. That he’s going to send an angel and everything will be okay.

He's such a fool.

All of a sudden, he hears people jovially shout a countdown from a far way away. Their cheers bouncing on the freight to just barely reach Dean’s ears. “10! 9! 8!” 

Oh, that’s right, it’s New Year’s Eve. Maybe he’ll live to see the fireworks.

“7! 6!”

He lethargically drags his, unfocused eyes to the light-polluted sky. The stars are dim, only the brightest shine through the light-pollution. It’s a shame, he’s always loved stargazing. 

“5!"

An image of his little brother flashes before his eyes. Memories of the time they set off fireworks in a field and stargazed until the sun came up come to the forefront of his mind. Where did everything go so wrong? His eyes begin to water from the cold. Definitely from the cold.

"4!”

That catboy is okay because of him. He’ll live to see another day. That’s what matters. That’s why he did this, the whole reason Dean put himself between him and the alphas. 

Sam would be proud of him. At least, he'd like to think Sam would be.

“3!” 

Not bothering to stop the blood flow any longer he raises his hand back to his cigarette. Taking a moment to get the energy to inhale. He does, though it’s rather weak. 

“2!”

He’s pathetic. Just sitting here waiting to die. He deserves to die if he doesn’t try to help himself. He blows out the smoke. Hell, Sam would probably think so too.

“1!”

He doesn’t deserve to be here anymore.

“Happy New Year!!” 

Cheers erupt from happy families, couples, and individuals alike while a single tear falls from his eye, drying as soon as the bitter wind hits them. Not a second later, fireworks boom across the winter sky. They bathe the city with beautiful colors and illuminate Dean in their colors for the bursts of seconds that they’re alive before simmering out.

It isn’t fair. 

_ But you asked for this _ , Dean’s mind reminds.

Maybe this was his fate. Maybe this was always meant to be how he met his end. It would be poetic, in some way. 

_ Please, _ Dean prays,  _ please, God, just take me. Send your damn angel already. _

A string of fireworks explode in the sky with splashes of color. Dean closes his eyes, getting too tired to keep them open, and lays his head back against the brick and watches the colors explode behind his eyelids.

_ Please. _ Dean begs once more.  _ If you’re there, God, please help me. Don’t make me stay here. _

There's the far-off, muffled, sound of hurried footsteps that are mostly covered by the sound of fireworks. Even the fireworks sound muffled. Another boom, the pattering of running feet, and then a quiet, "Fuck.” The deep voice rumbles and then there are scorching hot hands on him, pulling his body like a ragdoll. "Stay with me, baby lion (term of endearment). You have done so well, just a little longer.”

Dean cracks an eye to see shadows of massive wings flared out behind a figure. A huff of laughter escapes Dean before he says, “You’re one hell of a late angel.” or at least he thinks he says that out loud before the world blissfully disappears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A.R.T.s:  
> Блядь — Fuck  
> Останься со мной, львенок. Вы так хорошо поработали, еще немного. — Stay with me, baby lion (term of endearment). You have done so well, just a little longer.


	2. Livin' on a Prayer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know how to say thank you guys enough for the support you've all shown me, and it's only the first chapter! I'm so glad you've all liked it so far, and are hopefully excited to see more. If you are, feel free to scream at me on here, your comments and constructive criticisms are forever welcome! Seeing how many people liked it has definitely made me want to keep writing, especially since I'm working on finals this week, it's been a real boost for me to read your comments. If there is anything you would like to see in future chapters, leave a comment down below and I might just add it in, I'm open to hearing your ideas.
> 
> Without further ado, here is chapter 2!
> 
> Chapter Title: Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi

_ Dean, _ a quiet, gentle voice echoes in the darkness. 

Dean groans trying to evade it. He doesn’t want to get up. He’s finally getting some much-needed rest. It’s too early.

_ I know, sweetheart, _ the voice sounds softer and apologetic,  _ but you don’t have much time. You have to wake up. _

Now it feels like something is nudging him, but all he can focus on is the scent of coming home enveloping him. The scent is so familiar, yet he hasn’t smelled it in years. 

_ It’s not your time yet, Dean. He needs you here. _ The presence presses a kiss to his temple and holds him to its chest tightly. Dean wraps himself around the embrace and nuzzles into its warmth. _ Go, my beautiful boy. _

Dean gasps awake and starts coughing sporadically, breathing heavily, and clutching at his chest. The scent of home is replaced by sterilizers and too many nauseating scents. The change is so sudden is nearly gives him whiplash. He wants the scent back. 

_ Come back _ . He whines.  _ Please, come back. _

He tries to roll onto his side but something catches and tugs on his arm. The tug at his skin causes him to hiss at the jolt of pain. What is he even still doing alive? Wait … if he’s alive, shouldn’t he be in a hell of a lot more pain? He’s not hurting nearly as much as he would expect to be. Unless he’s dead and there really is a Heaven/Hell. That would explain the not really feeling much pain.

Speaking of, where the hell is he? 

Oh, that’s right, he has eyes. He should open them. Doing just that, he squints and blinks rapidly as they crack open. Everything in the room he’s in is blindingly white, it physically pains him to look at it. He finds it hard to keep his eyes open, so he focuses on another sense. Hearing. In the background, he hears the beeping of a machine. Behind that, there is a low murmur of voices and an intercom above speaking to anyone who will listen. He drops his rapidly blinking eyes to where his arm got tugged. Squinting, he sees an IV.

Oh fuck.

He’s in a hospital.

The beeping he heard, the heart monitor, beside him starts speeding up, keeping tempo with the thumping in his chest. This is the worst thing that could have happened to him, and yet here he is. Finally, he’s able to keep his eyes open in a squint. Once adjusted to the Godly amount of white, his eyes dart around the small cube of a room. As he does this, there's movement at the door and he snaps his eyes back to it. 

A nurse comes in wearing blue scrubs and startles when he meets her eyes. "Oh!" She says with wide eyes and a smile makes its way on her lips. "You're finally awake, that's great. I'll page Dr. Masters so she can let your alpha know." 

And just like that, Dean's worst fears are confirmed. They've already given him to a state alpha. Dean feels a weight sitting around his throat like an anchor after this realization and fear spikes through him. A collar. They collared him. The cool metal of the tag is laying in the dip of his collarbones to signify it’s a state-collar. 

Fuck. Fuck!

The monitor beside him sounds like it’s beeping so fast it’s about to take off. This can’t be happening. He needs this damn collar off of him. He needs to get out of here. He has to leave. 

The nurse’s eyes widen and dart to the monitor. He grabs at the offending material around his neck and rips at it. His breathing becoming erratic and he’s unable to think straight. The collar digs painfully into the back of his neck and he whimpers at the pressure it exerts on his pressure point. He rips at the collar harder, ignoring the pain he’s causing himself. Black tendrils start creeping into his vision, the only noise he can hear is the blood rushing in his ears. 

Coming to and realizing he isn’t going to get anywhere with the collar, Dean rips the IV out of his arm and tears the other wires off himself. Machines start going haywire and beeping sporadically. He throws himself from the bed. His legs are weak and collapse under his weight, but he pushes himself up before the nurse can come over. He doesn’t get far before the chain attached to his collar and wall yanks him back, choking him in the process.

“It’s okay, omega, you’re okay.” The nurse’s voice grates on his ears. They twitch in response, his tail puffed up and swishing quickly back and forth. Dean backs up against a wall and crawls back on the bed, trying to get further from her. He snarls at her, baring his fangs. His fangs may not be as big as an alpha’s, but they can do a lot of damage if he needs them to. 

His breathing is coming rapidly and he does his best to keep himself calm. 

It feels like the walls are collapsing in on him and it's hard to breathe. The panic attack is beginning to set in.

He doesn’t realize anyone getting close, but soon there are hands on him, attempting to restrain him and he blacks out. 

**✦** **✧** **✦**

He begins to come back to his senses after what feels like seconds. He’s unsure how long he was out for sure, but his heart still beating erratically. His mind foggily realizes he’s encased in something. Something secure, strong. It’s dark in here, wherever here is. Behind him he hears a deep voice whispering something to him but he isn’t back enough to comprehend what it is. The person close enough that their breath is ghosting over his ear.

Normally, Dean would be fighting back in a situation like this. But his omega is in control at the moment and he’s actually calming down. After what feels like hours, he’s finally completely back to himself, his omega having given back control.

Dean blinks rapidly, confused by what’s happening. He’s standing now. He was in a hospital bed a moment ago, chained to the wall by his collar. There is something warm on his side where he got stabbed. Did he rip his stitches?

Before he can think about it any longer, whatever is shrouding him in darkness shifts and unwraps itself from Dean. Dean cringes and stumbles back at the brightness of the hospital room, but hands on his arms steady him from behind and Dean tenses instantly. He rips himself out of the hold and turns to get a look at who was touching him. The motion twisting his side uncomfortable and pain twinges at his stab wound. Bringing his hand over, he puts some pressure on it to try helping it.

Standing there, seemingly unaffected by Dean’s threatening glare, is a man with dark hair, blue eyes, and he’s wearing an expensive looking suit.  The man’s white button up’s sleeves are rolled to his elbows, showing off his toned forearms that are covered in tattoos. The fabric is tight across his shoulders and his waist is thin. The black slacks he’s wearing fit him perfectly, hugging him in all the right places to accentuate his thick thighs nicely. His shoulders are broad and the air of dominance he’s giving off makes him seem like he’s towering over him like the Chrisler building. He’s an extremely handsome man, and it leaves no doubt in Dean’s mind that this man is built like a brick house. 

Dean is slightly intimidated by him … only slightly. 

The only thing that gives away that he’s anything but calm is the small twitch of … holy shit, are those wings?  Bird half-breeds are rare, he’s never seen one in person. He's holding his wings as high as he possibly can, but the tips of his feathers still drag on the ground. They have hints of brown hidden in all the black. Dean really wishes he would open his wings. They're gorgeous even like this.

The wings twitch again under Dean’s scrutiny and Dean gets the odd feeling of wanting to touch them, but he quickly squashes it and looks back at the man they’re attached to. Said man is staring back at him with the same calm expression as before.  That's when Dean realizes he can't scent him. He's wearing blockers. This immediately sets Dean on edge. He gets why he would use them, especially in the hospital in the omega wing, but that doesn't mean Dean has to like it.

Dean opens his mouth to speak but then he feels something dangling down his back and hitting his tail. Reaching behind him and grabs the cool metal of chain and drags it in front of him. Doing so twists his collar around as well and he realizes this is the chain that connected him to the wall. Attached to the chain is a piece of drywall and blood. 

His eyes widen and he takes a step away from the winged man and looks towards the room. Turning around, he sees absolute chaos. 

On the floor are four people. All four don’t have animal characteristics, so that means they’re either human or full shifter. They are all battered and in pain, being tended to by other nurses. One man looks to have his shoulder out of place, and a lot of scratches and bite marks. All three have scratches and bite marks actually. The woman nurse from before has a nasty cut on her forehead but is otherwise unharmed. One man appears to have his leg broken and his shirt is torn. The last man is on the ground, unconscious and seemingly unscathed.

All around the room there’s blood. His bed has been shoved to the opposite wall and the cabinet has fallen over, it’s contents scattered across the tile. 

Did he do this?

He looks up to see people watching from outside the room. A woman with dark, wavy hair in a lab coat is watching him carefully. On her white coat it says Dr. Masters. That’s the woman that the nurse said she was going to get. 

“Are you feeling alright?” A deep, heavily accented, voice asks from behind him. Mr. Wings is talking to him. Dean turns so his back is to the wall, not letting anyone behind him. He looks him over with a frown, his adrenaline slowly leaving his body and making him a little dizzy. Scratch that, a lot dizzy and a lot of pain.

“Fine.” He grits out.

Mr. Wings arches a thin brow as if he’s saying yeah-fucking-right. His eyes drop to where Dean’s holding his side and Dean looks down as well. Blood is covering his hospital gown. So he definitely tore some stitches. Dean’s legs begin to weaken and he stumbles back, sitting on the bed. Mr. Wings’ wings twitch, flaring out slightly and he steps forward when Dean begins to go down, but he stops when Dean rests on the bed. 

“Please get everyone out, I need to check on my patient.” A woman with an accent says, sounding irritated. Dean peeks over his shoulder and sees Dr. Masters filing the others out. The four injured being taken out on gurneys or wheelchairs. When the last person leaves and it’s just Mr. Wings and Dean in the room, she turns to a nurse in the hall. “Bring me a wheelchair for Mr. Winchester.”

“Why do I need a wheelchair?” Dean blurts before his brain catches up. Omegas aren’t supposed to challenge those above them. Especially in public. 

Masters turns to look at him and arches a brow. “I need to check you over and restitch your wound and this room is a mess.”

“No.” He can feel two pairs of eyes on him. He locks eyes with Masters, challenging her, and keeps Mr. Wings in the corner of his eye. “I’m not leaving. Do it here.” 

They hold eye contact for a while, but Dean doesn’t back down. He’s expecting a punishment after this, but he hopefully will be able to escape before she can dish it out. Eventually, she sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, muttering something in another language.

“Fine, Castiel, will you wait in the hall until I’m done with your omega?”

Dean freezes, the words making his stomach sink. He begins to feel even more lightheaded now. The words, _ your omega _ , repeat over and over and over in his head. That man is an alpha. That man is  _ his  _ state appointed alpha. Oh, God, he’s gonna be sick.

“Of course,” The man, Castiel, says and leaves the room. His wings are so long that the tips of them brush the tile. When he leaves the room, he closes the door behind him. 

“Alright, Dean, I need that gown off.” Dean snaps his eyes from the door to her, his eyes raking over her and taking in her posture. “I’m not gonna do anything. Let me take that chain off you as well.” She shows him her hands before slowly stepping forward and unlatching the chain from his neck, leaving the collar. 

This will be easier if he just goes along with this until she leaves. Once he’s alone, he’ll think of a way to get out of here.

So he does what she says, if a little begrudgingly. 

It turns out he did tear his stitches, but most of the blood on his gown wasn’t his. Dean has only ever been in a feral state like that once in his life before today. The doctor checks his hormone levels because of him going feral, but everything has returned to normal. Or, in the process of returning to normal. Either way, he’s in the clear on that front.

“Alright, I’m all done,” She says while handing him a folded white piece of cloth. “Your new gown,” She says, unnecessarily. 

He takes it, putting it on, eager to cover himself. When his head pops through the omega gown, she continues. 

“You need rest, so I’ll give you something to help you sleep and we can talk about all this when you wake up, okay?” 

Dean clenches his jaw and nods, situating himself under the sheets of the hospital bed. Meg, he learned is her first name, puts in another IV before she takes the needle from the tray she had brought in and injects it in his IV. Dean expects her to leave as soon as she does this, but she doesn’t. He twitches, starting to get twitchy, not wanting to let the drug lull him to sleep. He was going to take it out the second she was gone. Why isn’t she leaving?

“Castiel is a good alpha, you don’t need to be scared of him,” she says.

Dean doesn’t say anything, but curses himself when he starts to feel drowsy. Panic begins to build in his chest and his fingers twitch to grab the IV, but Meg puts a hand over his to stop him. 

He clenches his jaw but doesn’t look up. “Why’re you still here?”

There’s a smile in her voice when she says, “I’m making sure you don’t try running out on us. After what happened, you’re officially a flight risk. I’m not leaving until I know you’re sleeping, Kitten.” Dean swallows past the lump in his throat and tries fighting the fatigue. “Don’t fight it, just go to sleep. It’ll be okay.” 

Dean leans his head back against the pillows and gives a quiet growl, closing his eyes. He hears a chuckle come from Meg.

“I know, I’m awful.You’ll thank me later.” 

The last thing he thinks before giving in is a big fat  _ yeah right _ .


	3. Communication Breakdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and leaving kudos and comments! I hope you're all enjoying it so far and I look forward to hearing what you thought about this chapter!
> 
> Chapter Title: Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin

Waking up in the hospital the second time around goes much smoother. The heart monitor keeps a steady tempo. It’s oddly calming. Opening his eyes, he still squints at how bright it is, but he can keep them open this time. The room is empty aside from him. This is when the heart monitor starts to pick up when the adrenaline kicks in. 

This is the time. 

Turning his head, he looks at the monitor. There’s a power switch right under the screen. He slides himself up into a sitting position, casting a glance to the hallway for any sign of someone watching, then he turns the machine off. The room falls eerily silent while the rest of the hospital noise continues outside. Dean swallows and detaches all the wires and tubes on him before throwing the blankets off. Outside the window shows that it’s night. That’s probably why the hospital is so quiet. 

When his bare feet hit the cold tile, an involuntary shiver runs up his spine. Taking a steadying breath, he stands and makes his way over to the cabinet. Inside are all his belongings. His tattered clothes, helmet, keys … no gun. They took his gun or they left it. Fucking great. The clothes aren’t salvageable, but his leather jacket is still good. He takes it off the hanger and wraps his helmet in it before putting on his socks and boots. 

He casts another glance out the door but there still isn’t anyone around other than a nurse with her back towards him. Scanning his room, he looks for a vent. There isn’t one. Shit. He moves to the bathroom and scans the ceiling, stopping on a vent. His shoulders drop in relief and he feels a smile tug on his lips.  He would usually be able to jump that high and pull it off thanks to being part cat —  _ thanks mom, _ he thinks with a fond smile — but getting stabbed puts a kink in that ability. For everything that's happened to him for being a half-breed, he wouldn't change it for the life of him. It's helped him in multiple situations. Growing up with his father would have been much more difficult without, what his brother fondly called, 'cat-like' reflexes. 

Climbing up on the sink, he eventually pries the vent off and it dangles from its hinges on the ceiling. Slowly, he slides his jacket wrapped helmet inside. He licks his lips and prepares himself to jump up, preparing for the pain in his side. Using all the strength he has at the moment, he hoists himself into the vent. It’s louder than he would have wished, but he can only hope nobody thinks anything of it. He takes a moment to catch his breath, they must have him on some pretty strong drugs since he barely felt any pain from that. They were probably to keep him sleeping until he was healed or until  _ Castiel _ , he thinks bitterly, could take him home. 

Well, tough shit for them.

He turns around as quietly as possible and pulls the vent back up. It slides in place snuggly. Whether or not it’s actually going to stay in place isn’t for him to worry about right now. Right now, he needs to get to the roof or the parking garage. Going down sounds like a better idea since he doesn’t know if hospitals have ladders from the roof.

Not a time to find out.

He shuffles his way through the vents like he had that one time when he was hospitalized as a teen. Climbing down a vent turns out to be much more difficult when you’ve been stabbed, and chock-full of potent drugs, and carrying a motorcycle helmet, but he manages. If his tail was stronger, it would have been much easier to carry his helmet while he climbed down. When he gets to the vent that comes out into the parking garage, he wants to collapse in relief. He tries to wiggle the vent out quietly, but it doesn’t budge. Groaning, he turns around and braces himself as he horse-kicks the grate, cringing as the movement pulls at his stitches uncomfortably. Thankfully, the grate flies off and clatters loudly to the concrete.

There won’t be much time before some guards come to check out that noise, so he needs to go. He climbs out, unwrapping his helmet and puts on his jacket. His legs are bare so this run home is going to be brutal, but he’ll have to deal. He lands and starts limping towards home.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

Dean had passed out the second he got home. He didn’t even change out of his hospital gown, simply collapsed on the bed and fell asleep. He’s exhausted, so why he’s awake is a mystery to him. It takes a moment to regain his senses before he realizes something feels off. It’s not because he feels sicker than a dog, though that is weird. His room is quiet.  He lets out a breath of air, trying to ease the nausea in his stomach. Working himself up to grab his gun from under his pillow, he curses when he remembers he lost it.  Opening his eyes, he realizes the light is on by the couch.

He didn’t turn that on. 

“Oh good,” A familiar deep voice with a Russian accent fills the silent room alongside the soft sound of a book being closed. “You’re awake.” Dean freezes and his heart stops . Any semblance of calm he had flies out the window and his head spins with how quickly he shifts gears. He sits up and throws his legs over the side of his bed.

His state-appointed alpha, Castiel, is sitting on his broken couch with a book in his lap, the only light in the studio is switched on behind him. His large black wings rest behind the couch and most likely sprawl over the dirty hardwood. With his wings spread a little, he can see some spots of white on the underneath and some brown as well. He’s wearing an expensive suit again. Overall, he looks very out of place. 

Dean clenches his hands into the sheets and stares at him. He may not be a religious man, but he’s praying to his lucky stars that he doesn’t have to fight him. In his current state, Dean would lose.

Castiel stands and Dean clenches his jaw, trying to not show weakness, but knowing his scent is probably giving him away. Now is not the time to show he’s about to throw up all over the place. Oh God, please don’t let him hurl on a man that’s okay with breaking and entering someone’s home. He’d be a dead man for sure. 

His stomach clenches when the nausea intensifies. 

Castiel walks over and reaches for Dean’s face. Dean flinches back, ears flattening to his head with a quiet growl. It successfully causes the man to pause, but only for a second before he cups Dean’s chin and tilts his head up. Dean meets his eyes, trying to keep his expression neutral and not glare. The man’s face is impassive, his eyes raking over his face, flicking to his ears and then to the swishing of Dean's tail before looking at his face again. He hums and his thumb gently brushes his jaw before letting him go.

“You’re having a late reaction to the drug those alphas gave you.” He backs up and goes to the kitchen counter, doing something Dean can't see. 

Wait, Dean frowns. He wasn’t given a drug. “What drug? I didn’t take anything.”

“No, but those alphas you fought had it in their blood and their blood must have gotten into your system one way or another. Red is a drug that affects omegas very differently. For you, it appears to have remained dormant in your system due to high amounts of stress. Blood flow is limited in stressful situations so when you became relaxed, it started taking effect.” 

Dean is quiet, watching him before he has to close his eyes again. His head is swimming too much to think about what he’s saying right now. Right about now, he couldn’t give less of a shit that the alpha broke in and is probably about to kill him or punish him for running away. He hangs his head a little to stop the world from spinning. “If you’re gonna kill me, just do it already. I’m done with this shit,” Dean says, keeping his voice impassive. He says that last part quieter, but he’s sure the alpha heard him. 

The man doesn’t speak immediately, and panic wells up in Dean’s chest. When he speaks, it sounds as if he’s right in front of him. “I don’t kill unless I must.” A hand touches Dean’s chin and lifts his head slowly. 

Dean cracks his eyes open, staring into those intense blue eyes for a moment before looking down at the glass in the man’s hand warily. “It will make you feel better. If you would have stayed in the hospital a few more hours, they would have caught this and helped you.” There’s a smile in the man’s voice and Dean looks up to see the tiny quirk of the man’s lips. “Open,” He commands. When Dean doesn’t follow orders immediately, the man quirks a brow that sends chills down Dean’s spine. “Unless you prefer to feel sick.” 

Dean’s heart is hammering in his chest. He doesn’t want to think about why following this man’s order is like ripping teeth for him. He doesn’t want to go down that road right now. Even though he doesn’t want to think about it, an image of his father flashes in his mind and he cringes. Ears flattening to his head again, he immediately opens his mouth. Castiel hesitates for a moment before slowly helping Dean drink the bitter liquid. 

When he’s finished it, he releases Dean’s chin and Dean coughs a little, grimacing. “What the fuck was in that?”

“It isn’t important,  baby lion ." The Russian puts the glass on the table again and walks back over to him, pulling up one of the dining table chairs and sitting in front of him, an ankle crossed over his knee. Dean tenses, not even daring to breathe. “You’ve made a dangerous man very angry the other day,” Castiel says.

“If you’re talking about Alistair and his groupies, yeah, we’ve been acquainted already.”

Castiel leans back, the chair creaks its displeasure as he does. “All the more reason for you to accept, then.” Castiel pauses for a moment, looking like he’s calculating something. “You saved one of my men, that night, so I want to offer you my help in return. I would like you to be my omega.” 

Dean chokes on air and sputters before going into a coughing fit. Sure, Dean was supposed to be Castiel’s state-appointed ward, but being  _ his _ omega has a completely different meaning. When he catches his breath again, he looks at Castiel incredulously. “Repeat that?”

Castiel looks mildly amused. “I would like you to be my omega. You will be under my protection, and the Bratva will see you as my mate. This title will simply give you protection.” 

“Wait, what the hell is a Bratva?”

The room remains silent for a beat. “The Russian mafia. I am the Pakhan, their leader.” 

Dean really shouldn’t have expected anything less. With how his luck is, he seems to attract danger. Deep down, he knew it wasn’t going to be good. It was like watching a tsunami coming in from the horizon. There’s no stopping it. 

How was someone like a mob boss given someone as a state-appointed omega? Did Castiel pull some strings to get Dean appointed to him because Dean saved that kid? 

He swallows and clears his throat, “Are you giving me an option here?”

Castiel’s brows furrow and looks at Dean like he just asked something in Cantonese. “Yes.”

“In that case,” he’s about to finish that by saying  _ thanks, but no thanks _ , but he stops himself. He doesn’t want to get caught up with the Russian Mafia as well as Alistair’s gang. Dean’s certain that the alpha pulled his rank and made it so Dean would go to him. The question is, why? Why Dean? Because he saved the omega? “Why?”

Castiel is silent. He looks contemplative, his eyes unwavering. Castiel stands and walks back to the table, his wings blocking all of his frame until he turns back around to lean against it. He crosses his arms over his chest, the muscles bulging in his biceps and the fabric straining. “It would be mutually beneficial. I require a mate, and you could use the protection of my name.”

Dean thins his lips. He doesn’t like this at all. He doesn’t like the idea of being this alpha’s bitch. Not to mention he would basically be joining the Russian mafia by default. It wouldn’t matter if he doesn’t have anything to do with the crime side of the business, he will still be associated with it. With Castiel. He’ll get a target painted on his back for being Castiel’s mate. Anyone who wants anything from the alpha will look at Dean as a bargaining chip.

Then again, it isn’t like he’s in the clear on his own either. Alistair will be after him sooner or later, it’s just a matter of when. 

“What would I have to do for you, if I chose to … you know.”

“Nothing,” Castiel says too quickly for Dean’s tastes. Now it’s Dean’s turn to narrow his eyes. “You would just need to pretend to be my mate while we are in front of the Bratva.”

“Why?” He spits and Castiel  arches a brow , but Dean holds his ground. “If I’m going to be agreeing to this, I need to know what I’m getting into. Why do you want me to pretend to be your mate?”

Castiel clenches his jaw but sighs. “My men are getting restless the longer I remain without a mate. They want me to take a wife so it will assure prospective children for the family.” Dean is silent, stuck on the word ‘wife’ that spilled from his lips. “I don’t require you to be intimate with me, they will be okay with me taking you as my mate. I simply need you to play your part.” 

“Sorry, wait, hold on. I’m not 100 percent sure what women look like over in Russia, but I’m a man, Cas. I wouldn’t be able to be your wife.” 

The alpha rolls his eyes, but doesn’t look annoyed, so Dean counts that as a win. “The term is meant for the child-bearer in the relationship in Russia. I am more than aware that you are a man, Dean. I would not have asked this of you otherwise.”

Dean opens his mouth before immediately shutting it, actually thinking before he speaks this time. Instead of asking what he meant by that last sentence, he goes with something snarkier. “So you want me to pop out your kids,” He says flatly. That’s what is bothering him. Castiel says he needs a mate to ‘assure prospective children for the family,’ but Dean doesn’t have to ‘be intimate with him.’

“No, I told you I do not require you to be intimate with me.” Castiel sighs like he’s dealing with a child, running a hand through his dark hair while he mutters something in Russian. Dean doesn’t know what he said or whether or not he needs to be offended. “I am only required to have a wife, someone who is capable of bearing children. My men will be content after that.” 

“For how long?” Dean shifts on his bed, his stomach is wound tight as a cord.

Castiel remains eerily silent for a lot longer than Dean is comfortable with. And his answer is even less reassuring. “Long enough.” 

Dean swallows past the lump that’s forming in his throat. “Well, that’s not ominous at all.” 

“It isn’t something you need to worry over.” 

“Right,” Dean hesitates, unable to believe he’s actually thinking about agreeing to this. But if it will get him out of Vinegar Hill, would it be worth it? Trade ruthless gang members with guns for the Russian mafia with more guns. As much as he hates to admit it, Alistair is right around the corner. Dean isn’t going to be safe here after he hospitalized four of his men. “Do I have to move?” 

“Yes,” Castiel states and straightens with the grace of a lioness ready to strike, his wings flaring slightly to the sides. “You will move in now. I will not risk you being here another day.” 

"Whoa, hey," Castiel snaps his eyes to Dean and Dean most definitely doesn't flinch away. He forgets exactly who he’s dealing with right now, so cutting Castiel off like that is risky. Dean clears his throat, refusing to lower his eyes, but maybe he should tread a little lighter. "Listen, I get it's a shit place," Castiel scoffs but Dean ignores him. "But I've lived there for years. I can take care of myself for a few more days." 

"No," The alpha says matter-of-factly which causes Dean to pause. So he's that kind of alpha, huh? Demanding and always gets what he wants. Forget what he said about treading lighter, this isn't gonna work. He really should have expected it, all things considered, from the Russian Mafia’s leader.

Taking a chance to oppose the alpha, Dean says, "You know, I don't think this is going to work." Dean shifts and carefully gets up so as not to hurt his knee. 

Castiel is looking at him with the look of a confused kitten. "What do you mean?" 

"I don't follow orders very well,  _ Alpha _ ." Castiel straightens at the venomous title and narrows his eyes. "You demanding me to do as you say when we haven't even agreed to a deal yet isn't gonna fly. So thanks for making my decision easy, I'm going for option two where you can fuck off back to where you came from." Dean tries desperately to keep his nerves up long enough to get the man the fuck out of here. He’ll have time to freak out about what he’s doing later. Thankfully that medicine kicked in already and he doesn’t feel sick any longer or else he’d probably be throwing up right about now. It sadly doesn’t take away the pain in his leg though, so he limps over to the door and opens it for him.

"You're hurt," Castiel says. Dean isn’t sure how to interpret his tone. 

Dean rolls his eyes. "Gee, Sherlock, really? Those knotheads almost fucking broke my leg." 

Castiel is silent for a moment, squinting at his leg long enough to make Dean uncomfortable. When he finally looks back up, he says, "Please sit, I apologize for treating you like that.” That alone floors Dean. A feared criminal is apologizing to Dean,  _ Dean _ of all people. It's the sincerity in his apology that has Dean closing the door and sitting back down. If it were any other alpha, Dean would have kicked him in the jewels and threw him out. But getting on the Russian mafia’s bad side, as well as Alistair’s, sounds like a bad idea. Not that he isn’t off to a great start with that. 

You would think he would hold his tongue more after his upbringing. 

“I don't expect you to follow my every command,” Castiel continues. “But there are some things you will need to do if you accept my offer as a mate." 

“Such as playing mate in front of your pals,” Dean guesses.

“The Bratva, yes. And in the general public. You wouldn’t be able to talk back to me, or others, like I’m letting you get away with now.” Castiel arches a knowing brow and Dean feels his cheeks heat up. “You would need to appear as society’s ideal omega. That means,” Castiel’s wings fluff up for a second before smoothing down, twitching restlessly behind him. “You will need to bear my claiming bite, as well.”

Out of instinct, Dean’s hackles rise and he fights back a growl. That’s one thing he’s faught against his entire life, and the fact that he would have to let someone he doesn’t love bind them together forever bothers him. Once he’s mated to Castiel, it’ll be difficult for him to not be around him for long periods of time. And don’t even get him started about his heats. He’ll have to suffer through them, his body thinking it has a mate when he really doesn’t.

_ Why not just let him fuck you, though? You did it for cash, so what’s the difference if he’s your mate?  _ Dean’s inner voice tries to reason. While it has a point, he doesn't like it. It’s the moral of the fact. He doesn’t want to get fucked by someone he doesn’t want. He shouldn’t have to!

Dean sighs and rubs his face, getting really tired again. "Listen," Dean starts and looks at Castiel with heavy eyes. "I’m tired, I’m in pain, and I’m in no state to make life-altering decisions right now. Can we just- can I have some time to think this over and we can talk about it when I’m clear-headed?" 

Castiel is standing in the middle of his living room, wings twitching minutely. When Dean’s eyes land on them, they settle on his back, like Castiel is making a conscious effort to keep them still. The man himself doesn’t look too agreeable to whatever he’s thinking, but he brandishes a card from his suit pocket and holds it out to Dean. 

“Call this number when you’re feeling better.” Dean takes it, a little shocked by how easily Castiel gave into his request about leaving, and Castiel makes his way to the door. “I hope to hear from you soon, Dean.” He opens the door and casts one more glance at Dean. And with that, Castiel is out the door with a flourish of inky feathers. 

Alone in his apartment again, Dean stares at where Castiel just was. What has he gotten into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A.R.T.s  
> львенок - baby lion (term of endearment)


	4. Mr. Mom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since my titles are all song titles, I remembered this one and chuckled, so it obviously had to be the title xD
> 
> As for chapter contents, be aware of the tags for this chapter. Its nothing bad, so don't worry, but there is talk of mpreg in this chapter, so if that isn't your thing, just a heads up.
> 
> Let me know what you think! 
> 
> Chapter Title: Mr. Mom by Lonestar

Dean wakes up to an unpleasant twisting in his stomach and the overwhelming need to throw up. Lurching off his bed, the springs creak in protest, he scrambles to his tiny bathroom and collapses to his knees. The second he’s hovering over the toilet, everything in his stomach comes out. Once he’s expelled all his stomach’s contents, the smell that wafts up from the toilet alone makes him want to vomit again, but he refrains. 

Even when he stops feeling like he’s about to hurl, he remains leaning over the opening. He’s been worked up a lot recently. All of the events are happening so close to one another, back to back to back, that his nerves just can’t take it anymore. This has to be because of an overload of his nerves. The human body can only take so much before they break. Throwing up is just one way the body tries to alleviate itself.

Unless...

Shit.

_ Shit _ .

This can’t be happening. Deep down, he knows this has nothing to do with the clusterfuck that has been happening this week. It doesn’t have to deal with the side effects from the drug, or the nerves caused by Castiel, or almost dying, or the hospital. No, it has to do with that Panther-shifter a few months back. How could he have forgotten about his last client? The only one he lets fuck him without protection because the alpha actually went out of his way to prove he was clean. And, well, the man pays well, so Dean didn’t want to lose him as a prospective client.

The last time he slept with the Panther-alpha was around two months ago. He paid Dean a pretty penny since he had Dean help him through his Rut. It’s because of that, that Dean hasn’t had to go out for that in a while.

He tries not to think about when he needs to sell himself in order to keep his shitty apartment and food in his belly. They aren’t good memories, but it’s something most lone omegas do for work. It’s one of the only, most accessible, jobs omegas without alphas can get.

His heart begins to pick up speed as his mind keeps replaying that night, and he feels like he can’t breathe. Panic seeps in like a lightning strike. He limps around, slipping on shoes and running out of his apartment, forgetting about his bum knee until it screams at him and he nearly collapses. He catches himself on the railing right outside his apartment and lets out a shaky breath.

This can’t be happening. It just can’t. 

He glances back at his apartment, the door is wide open and all the warm air is leaving. Pushing himself upright again, he limps to the door. He’s about to close it when he sees his jacket hanging there and realizes he’s freezing. Berating himself, he slips it on, making sure his wallet is in the pocket, before locking the apartment. 

The bodega on the corner isn’t far, thankfully, but that doesn’t mean the walk isn’t cold and it certainly doesn’t mean his knee isn’t protesting him walking this much. But he’s still thankful for the short distance, especially when he gets the feeling of being watched. People are always watching others around these parts, can’t trust anyone, so it shouldn’t mean much. But due to the fact that he’s unwittingly acquainted himself with the Russian mafia, and pissed off a crime lord, he can’t be too sure there isn’t someone watching him. So he pulls the hood up from his black hoodie and walks faster. 

When he reaches the store, he opens the smudgy glass door. The ‘Open 24 hours’ sign flaps in the wind. The familiar scent of body odor hits him unpleasantly, accompanied by the stench of alpha piss in the corner to mark their territory. It’s something that only seems to happen in the ghetto anymore. It’s a safety thing for those in gangs. Doesn’t mean it’s okay. Or sanitary.

_ Fucking barbarians _ , Dean thinks to himself.

Ignoring it, he goes to the back of the store to find what he came for. 

The pregnancy tests are sitting innocently on the shelf, but it's probably the most intimidating thing he's faced in a long time. He shuffles his feet and stares them down. 

_ Deep breaths _ , a voice that sounds suspiciously like his mother's rings through his head.  _ It's going to be okay. _

Dean wants to scoff at the voice for being so optimistic. Nothing ever works out in his favor, why would his luck change now?

He snatches three off the shelf and takes them to the counter. The beta teen behind it has her feet up on the dirty cream-colored surface, reading a book. After a moment, she drags her eyes up to the items and looks at the tests for a long moment before eyeing Dean. She pops a bubble with the gum she's chewing before lazily ringing him up.

As fast as he can with an injured knee, he speed walks back to his apartment. The winter air is bitter on his exposed fingers and face, so he doesn’t want to be outside longer than he needs to. Back in his apartment, he throws the plastic bag on his ratty couch and eyes it like it just bit him. He takes a steadying breath before he begins pacing the creaky hardwood floor of his studio apartment. 

This goes on for an indeterminate amount of time before he can even look at the bag again. Willing himself to grab it, he plods over to the bathroom. Feeling less sturdy now that he’s in here, he fumbles to take one of the tests out. 

_ Just get this over with, Winchester _ , He spits at himself.

So he does. 

And he waits. 

And waits. 

Three minutes go by and he feels like he’s gonna hurl again. Looking down, he reads it. 

It’s positive. 

He does, in fact, throw up for a second time that day.

Numb. That’s how Dean would describe how he’s feeling right now. He doesn’t remember leaving the bathroom and sitting on his couch, but here he is staring at the window above his bed. He doesn’t have pleasant memories associated with being pregnant. The last time he was pregnant, his dad … Dean has to take a series of deep breaths to stop his heart from exploding. 

John isn’t here, he doesn’t know where Dean is. He can’t do anything to his kit. 

His stomach rolls for what feels like the hundredth time today and he puts a hand over it to calm down. He groans, doubling over and curling in on himself, letting his head hang between his knees. He doesn’t know how he’s going to support himself and a kit, but he’ll be damned if he’s going to let anything happen to it. How the little tyke came to doesn’t matter, he’s going to do everything in his power to keep it safe. 

Unfortunately, the only way he can think of doing that … is Castiel. It wouldn’t be exponentially safe considering he’s the leader to the Russian mafia, but it’s safer than being here alone. Besides, he can stay with him until he’s saved enough money, then he can book it somewhere else. He’s good at evading people. Hopefully, that holds true when it comes to the Russian mafia as well. 

The question is, how will he make money? It isn’t like he could go back to selling himself again. Castiel will smell other people on him and he’ll smell like sex. Even if he showered, Dean would have the residual scent on his clothes. 

Dean takes a deep breath and heaves it out heavily. Okay, so say he has the money, where will he go when he gets it? It isn’t like he has anyone else to help him, it’s just him and the tyke. He doesn’t know where Sam is, or if he would even want him back in his life. He made it pretty clear he was done with both him and their father when he ran away at 16. Last Dean heard, Sam was at Stanford out in California. Dean had found out from a postcard in the mail. It had only said ‘I’m here, Dean.’ 

Whatever Sam had meant by that, Dean couldn’t guess. Was it an invitation? Was it to rub in Dean’s face since he couldn’t leave John? It still bothers him to this day. Perhaps it was Sam trying to reach out to him. Maybe he wanted Dean to come see him again.

Dean hopes so because his plan is riding on Sam wanting to see him.

This little plan, However, includes Dean telling Castiel about his new discovery. That will risk Castiel not wanting him anymore and very likely rescinding his offer. It most likely wouldn’t matter that Dean is his state-appointed omega since Dean is convinced Castiel was the one to make that happen. He may even throw Dean to the wolves.

If that happens … well, Dean will figure it out. 

Dean leans back and digs in his pocket. When his fingers brush the edges of the card Castiel gave him, he pulls it out and eyes the number. It’s now or never. How is he going to call him? For the first time in, well, forever, Dean wishes he had a cell phone. Now he's gonna have to go back to the bodega on the corner and ask the snippy beta teen to borrow their phone. Fucking hell.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

The beta girl lazily pops her gum and arches a brow at Dean, the scent of her watermelon gum wafts under his nose and brings forth a new roll to his stomach. He refrains from throwing up all over the counter, thankfully, but he does eye her disdainfully.

"I can't do that, pal." She has to be chewing that obnoxiously on purpose. "Company rules." 

Dean runs a hand through his hair for what feels like the hundredth time today. “Look, I’ll give you ten dollars if you just let me use it.”

She pops her gum again and leans back in her chair, dropping her eyes to her magazine. Just like that, Dean is about to snap. What stops him, however, is a throat being cleared behind him. He turns around and looks at the man watching him. He’s tall with sandy blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He can’t smell him due to scent blockers, but Dean guesses he’s an alpha. 

He belatedly wishes he grabbed his fake collar, he feels naked without it now.

“You are looking to use a phone?” The man asks, his manner of speaking is stiff, as if he’d just learned how to communicate last week. He also has a Russian accent, which immediately sets Dean on edge. Is this guy part of the mafia sent to watch him? 

_ Don’t be ridiculous, Dean, not every Russian is part of the mafia _ .

When Dean doesn’t give a response immediately, the man continues. “You may use mine if you wish.” He pulls out his small phone and holds it in the air between them. 

“My parents taught me never to take candy from strangers,” Dean says, trying to crack a joke to lighten the tension he feels from this situation. 

The man squints at him, glancing at his phone once before looking back up. “This is a phone, not candy.” 

Dean arches a brow, is he for real? “Right … well, doesn’t change the fact we’re still strangers.”

There’s a moment’s hesitation from the alpha while he seems to contemplate something. “My name is Gadreel.” 

Dean huffs a laugh. Right. He looks the man up and down, debating if it’s worth it. He’s built like a brick house, and Dean would bet money he doesn’t have that the man’s stacked under that suit. Surely he wouldn’t try anything in a store with security cameras, would he?

Risking it, Dean reaches out and takes the phone. “Well, thanks, I guess,” He whispers the last part to himself, feeling a little wary about why the man is so adamant that Dean uses his phone. “I’ll just be a second.” Gadreel nods and turns around like he’s trying to give Dean a modicum of privacy. What a strange alpha. 

Dean unlocks the phone and pulls out Castiel’s card, dialing the number, but not before shooting the beta teen a dirty look as if to say ‘was that so difficult?’ It rings twice before someone picks up.

“Hello?” Castiel’s voice rings from the other side with the mechanical distortion phones give. 

Dean clears his throat and shifts his feet, looking away from the teen. His heart thumping wildly in his chest as his nerves skyrocket again. “It’s Dean,” He says, voice cracking slightly and making him wince. “I was calling about yesterday.”

“You’ve made your decision?”

“Uh, yeah, look,  something else came up that you should probably be clued in on if you still want me there.” Dean trails off, waiting for the alpha to respond. When it’s clear Castiel is waiting for Dean to ‘clue him in’ now, Dean clears his throat again, feeling a little hot under the collar. His eyes flick to Gadreel, the man’s back is still turned, but he can feel the girl’s piercing stare on his neck. She probably thinks Dean is up to something nefarious. His conversation sounds vague enough that it could be about almost anything. “Can we, like, talk somewhere in person?”

There isn’t an immediate response from the alpha, but soon he comes back with, “Yes, I’ll have Balthazar pick you up and bring you here.” 

Dean wants to argue, to say he wants to do this on neutral ground, but he doesn’t want to set the man off. Unfortunately, Dean could use him now. His stomach is twisting itself into knots again — its favorite pastime recently, it seems — when he thinks about telling him about the kit. If he tries to make Dean get rid of it, there’s no telling what Dean will do. Legally, Castiel would be allowed to force that on him. Would he try? Dean doesn’t know him, so he can’t know for sure. And if Castiel wants Dean as his fake mate, and he’s the leader of the mafia, and the kit isn’t his, would he make him get rid of it? He would have to make him get rid of it, wouldn’t he. It makes a foreboding feeling burn through his chest.

He must have been silent for too long because Castiel speaks again. “Dean, are you still there?” 

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m here. That’s fine.

It’s Castiel’s turn to be silent for a moment, most likely trying to determine what’s wrong with Dean. “He will be at your apartment shortly, then. I will see you soon.” He doesn’t give Dean time to respond before hanging up. 

Dean clears his throat so the alpha will turn around. He doesn't. Dean tries again, more aggressively this time, and pairs it with a, "Here, man." This gets the alpha to turn back around and eye him up and down. It isn't the type of up and down that Dean is used to, but it still unsettled him. "Uh, thanks for, y'know, letting me use your phone."

The alpha gently grabs his phone and pockets it. "Of course, it was my pleasure."

Dean squints at him, not sure what to say to that. "Right, well, thanks again." 

He doesn't stick around long after that. Between the weirdo alpha and the bratty teen, he's had enough social interaction for the day. So he stuffs his hands in his pockets and leaves the bodega. He supposes he has around ten or twenty minutes to get his shot together and figure out how he’s going to tell Castiel about the kit. He subconsciously puts a hand on his stomach. 

God, he really hopes he's doing the right thing. 


	5. He's Got A Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really appreciate all of you who have been leaving your support for this fic! I definitely struggled with this chapter, and I'll probably change it later, but for now, here it is. If you have any suggestions to make this better, I'd love to hear it. 
> 
> As a side note, we are catching up to the chapters I have pre-written, but I'm gonna try keeping the updates on Fridays the best I can.
> 
> Chapter Title: He’s Got a Secret by The Bangles

Someone knocks on the door, startling Dean from his pacing. He stares at the door like he can burn holes through the flimsy wood before he makes his way over. He’s expecting someone called Balthazar, but it could be anyone. Giving it a cursory sniff, he gleans nothing about who could be behind it. He waits for another second, taking a mental note of the knife he put in his boot as insurance and tries to steady his heart. He leaves the chain on as he cracks it open and peeks out. A little, measly, chain won’t do anything if the person really wanted inside, but it makes him feel a little better. 

There is a blonde man standing on the walkway, looking unimpressed by his surroundings. He’s shorter than Dean, but Dean can’t tell what his designation is since the man is wearing scent blockers. His ice-blue eyes are on him the second Dean opened the door and it feels like they pierce through him. He’s wearing a black, well-tailored suit, much like Castiel and that Gadreel guy from the bodega. He has to be Balthazar.

“Who are you?” Dean asks anyway, not wanting to give the stranger the easy answer by giving out the name he’s looking for. 

The man rolls his eyes. “Balthazar Roche, Pakhan sent me.” His British accent makes him sound smarmy, Dean already doesn’t like him. 

Closing the door, he unlatches it and opens it again. The man is still standing there, looking as annoyed as before. Well, this guy is a real peach. Dean wants to say as much too, but he bites his tongue. If he wants to accept Castiel on his offer, he has to be the ‘perfect omega.’ That means even in front of the Bratva. 

Balthazar looks past him into his apartment and scrunches his nose. "I cannot believe Pakhan would want to be with someone who lives in such squallar.”

Whatever he just said, Dean knows it can’t have been nice. The way the British man’s nose is scrunched and the disdainful tone he used when he spoke just now makes Dean want to hiss something smart back at the man. 

Instead, he flicks his tail and his ears twitch as he repeats, _think of your kit, think of your kit, think of your kit_ , over and over in his head. 

It works for now, but this behavior makes Dean think. If Castiel’s men are like this, is Castiel like this as well? Should he tell him about his kit? Dean wasn’t awake for when Castiel first stepped into his apartment, what was his reaction? 

From his interactions with Castiel this far, he would bet the alpha didn’t react all that much. He seems like a rather stoic guy. Balthazar, on the other hand, apparently isn’t. Dean straightens up and holds Balthazar’s stare, it’s the only thing he can do in defiance. “Are we leaving?” Dean asks. 

The man arches his brow. “This way, your highness”

Dean is reluctant to follow this pompous man, but he does after a minute’s contemplation. He has his knife if he tries anything, not that a knife will get him too far in a gunfight, but it makes him feel a little better. He seems to hate Dean already without Dean having even done anything. Does he know Dean is potentially going to be mated to his boss? Probably. That just leaves the question of, is he jealous, or does he not trust Dean? 

He can’t blame the guy if that’s the case. Dean is someone unknown and their boss has taken a sudden interest in him. Being in the mob, they are probably going to be distrustful of those they don't know.

Point is, Dean will try not to hate the guy too much for his sour lemon attitude. 

In one of the parking spaces is a small black car with windows that are tinted a shade too dark to be legal. He has a fleeting thought wondering if they ever get pulled over for it. Most likely not. When they get to the car, Balthazar doesn't open his door for him, not that Dean wants him to, but he waits for Dean to get in before he gets in the driver's seat. 

They don't speak during the ride. Dean doesn't know whether to be thankful or not for the silence. It means he doesn't have to be subject to more criticism, but that also means he's being left to his thoughts. 

As the minutes tick by and the time comes closer to tell Castiel about his kit, the more Dean wants to back out. It would be hard not to tell the alpha considering he will eventually start showing. The thing is, if he isn't going to tell Casriel, he's going to need to come up with something else to tell him since he told Castiel he had news he needed to fill him in on. Most of the time, Dean is good at bullshitting excuses. Hopefully, his skill doesn't fail him now.

Even if he does slip up and his nerves get the best of him, Castiel won't be able to scent his lie. Dean made sure to use his scent neutralizer because he didn’t want to risk anyone being able to scent that he’s pregnant. It’s a little early for the scent to be strong enough for anyone other than the parents to be able to smell it, but he doesn’t want to take any chances right now. 

He doesn’t like using the scent neutralizers since they’re so expensive, but this is a necessity. He’s lucky he even has the tiny bottle that he does. He’ll have to use it sparingly until he finds a way to make money to buy more. Hopefully, he’ll find a solution fast because he’s going to start showing within a few months. If all goes well, he’ll be gone before then.

He just hopes nobody caught the scent on him during his time in the hospital. If they did, surely this will all be for nothing because Castiel will have been notified. But if Castiel already knows, and still wants him, does that mean he’s fine with it or does that mean he’s planning on forcing Dean into an abortion? 

A wave of nausea almost makes Dean throw up in the back of Castiel’s car. Is it normal for him to get so sick? Maybe he needs to go to a doctor to get the tyke checked out. He was, unknowingly, on drugs and smoked while he was pregnant. 

Shit, what if he fucked his kit up by smoking? He didn’t know, but it would be his fault if- oh God. He needs to stop thinking about it for now. He’s getting worked up, and he doesn’t need that when he’s going to see Castiel.

He sits back in his seat and takes deep breaths for the remainder of the ride. He’s going to sort everything out, just not now.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

When they reach their destination, it’s a parking garage under a fancy apartment building. They get out and Balthazar leads him through the underground parking garage. The bitter wind is funneling through the tunnels and Dean pulls his jacket closer around his body to fight the chill. When they get out in the open, they go to the front of the building. Leading into the lobby, the walls are entirely made of glass. Looking through the windows, there are only a couple of people in the lobby. A woman behind the desk, a burly man talking with her amicably, a doorman that is glaring at everything in general, and a man standing by the elevator. 

The doorman sees them approaching and opens the large glass door. His name tag says his name is Ion. Weird name, but so is Balthazar and Castiel. Ion is staring at Dean longer than Dean would like and it's making the hairs on the back of his neck stand. What is with these people and staring? Is there something on him? 

Dean flattens his ears and flicks his tail back and forth slowly. Ion’s eyes jump to his ears and swishing tail before he seemingly gets the hint and thins his lips, looking away. Dean is thankful for being able to show his emotions through his body like this, but he’s going to have to be mindful of it more than normal. Showing weakness to anyone here, even Castiel, could be dangerous. It will give them a stepping stone, knowing they are making Dean uncomfortable. 

That is going to be more difficult than he thinks. 

“This way,” Balthazar says when he’s halfway across the lobby. Dean hurries to catch up, not wanting to be left alone with the alpha doorman. Balthazar stops beside a beta at the elevator, whose name is Inias. “"He has a meeting with Pakhan,”,” Balthazar says before stepping aside.

Inias nods, looking Dean over while opening the elevator. Put up with being stared at, Dean stares back while he steps in the elevator. Inias meets his eyes and when he sees Dean staring back, his eyes widen and he quickly looks away like he’s afraid of something. He can’t be scared of Dean. Perhaps everyone does already know about him being Castiel’s potential mate. Castiel did say something about his men being anxious that he didn’t have a mate. So maybe the fact that Dean is an omega and he’s going to meet their boss, in the privacy of his home, makes them curious. 

That would explain a lot of the staring.

Before the doors close, Dean looks back at Balthazar who is watching him with a suspicious look. The doors close before he can say something he’ll regret. 

Inside the elevator, there’s stereotypical elevator music droning on in the background. Dean watches the numbers above the door keep getting larger, and larger … and larger. Belatedly, Dean realizes that Castiel more than likely lives in the penthouse. 

Great. Just what he wanted. 

It isn’t that Dean is afraid of heights, it’s just not natural for people to be up this high!

So, of course Castiel would live up where only birds should be. 

Dean has to chuckle at his own joke or he may just start hyperventilating as he wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans. 

He tries not to look at what floor he's on, and instead, becomes hyper-focused on the doors. Thankfully, it stops moving soon after that and the doors open. Standing right in front of the doors is Castiel. He looks … rather relaxed. He's in his suit, but he's only wearing his white button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It's a good look on him, and by the twinkle in his eye when he catches Dean eyeing him up, he knows it. 

"Hello, Dean," Castiel greets and steps aside in a motion for him to come in, his wings shifting when he does. 

"Hey," Dean says back and curls his tail around his leg. He doesn't want it to give away how nervous he is right now.

Cautiously, he steps out of the elevator and glances around. The first thing he notices is that there are plants. _Everywhere_.

Dean lets himself be guided to the living room, too distracted by his surroundings. The plants makes it feel like a greenhouse. A really relaxing, livable, greenhouse. The scent alone is enough to soothe any frayed nerve Dean has left. It's like a forest. Heavy pine mixed with rain. Dean takes a curious whiff in Castiel's direction. It's hard to tell since the entire penthouse smells like it, but Dean thinks that may be the alpha's scent. Pine and rain. It smells nice. Dean doesn't want to linger on why he feels relaxed after being surrounded in the scent. Dean has always liked the smell of nature, so it isn't a surprise Castiel's scent makes him feel calm. Dean hazards that the plants and Cas amplify each other's natural scents. 

It’s so calming, Dean doesn’t even care that he’s practically basking in the alpha’s scent. He can’t remember the last time he was ever this peaceful. He loves it. 

That’s when it clicks with him. The alpha had been wearing scent blockers previously. Discreetly, Dean takes in another deep breath through his nose. Pine trees right after a rainstorm. Dean can imagine the alpha standing in the midst of a pine forest, needles still wet from the rain, staring at Dean with those electric blue eyes and beckoning him to him.

Dean’s inner instincts kick in and he almost lets a purr slip while he’s basking in the scent, but thankfully he cuts it off before it can start. What is he thinking, purring for a random fucking stranger? You only purr around your mate, or family if it’s a child.

_Or when you feel safe,_ his brain helpfully supplies.

He resolutely ignores his thoughts and looks out the expansive windows. The view out the floor to ceiling windows is breathtaking. He feels like he’s gaping, but he doesn’t bother trying to correct himself. The living room is overlooking a large river and off to the side is some park that would undoubtedly be vibrant in Spring. It must look gorgeous. 

“Would you like something to drink?” Castiel asks from behind him, bringing his attention back to him.

And doesn’t that feel oddly domestic, like Castiel isn’t a high-end crime boss? Then again, who says crime bosses have to act a certain way? That’s just a pre-conceived notion everyone has of people like Castiel. Who knows, maybe they just want to be nice sometimes as well. 

Or lure you into a false sense of security.

That last one sounds more accurate. 

“No, thanks,” Dean says and looks back at Castiel. 

Castiel nods, watching him, and leads them to the living room. Castiel walks to a chair and spreads his wings, sitting down and crossing an ankle over his knee. He laces his fingers together and lays his hands across his stomach. Dean follows behind him and sits on a large white couch that is right beside the large windows. There is a potted tree in the corner and a plush throw blanket draped artfully over the back with decorative pillows. It looks cozy.

“So, Dean,” Castiel asks after Dean’s sat down. “What is it that you wanted to ‘clue me in on?’” Castiel says it with the air quotes and all, and dammit, a crime lord has no right being that adorable. 

Dean continues to stare out at the city below them. He hates being up this high, but he’ll admit it is really a sight to behold. His heart is hammering against his ribcage and he’s going to start working up a sweat if this goes on for long. He’ll wear off his scent neutralizers and it’ll be over. Castiel will scent all his emotions and know he’s hiding something. 

“I’ve made a lot of people angry,” Dean says in a split-second decision and meets Castiel’s eyes. Nobody can smell the pregnancy pheromones on him yet, so he’ll be able to get away with it. He’ll have to find a way to get more of the scent neutralizer, but that’s a problem for later. The scent of pregnant omega will show up faster than a blink of an eye. “So having me as a mate would bring that all to you.”

Castiel smiles like Dean is the cutest kitten he’s ever seen, and like those worries are nothing. Of course, for someone like Castiel, they probably are. It isn’t like Dean’s excuse is amazing. It was the only thing he could come up with at the last minute.

“I have many people who would like my head on a platter, "kitten”. Those who are upset with you, I will take care of them.” 

That's it then? 

Dean holds eye contact with the alpha, trying to think of something else to say. Was it really that simple? Does he just dive into this headfirst? 

Castiel is his best option for survival. 

"Okay," Dean says and Castiel arches a brow. "I'll do it."

Castiel's expression softens and his posture relaxes a little bit, his wings sag behind him. "I'm glad." 

There's a buzzing sound that starts coming from Castiel. Both men frown and Castiel looks down, pulling his phone from his pocket. His brows furrow when he opens the message, and he only looks more displeased as he reads it. Something must have happened. That would be his que to leave, right? He needs to get his things from his place to move in here.

Wow, and isn’t that an uncomfortable thought. Moving in with the leader of the Russian Mafia. 

Dean clears his throat, shifting on the couch, his ears twitching at all the subtle noises. Castiel’s eyes dart up to him.

“You wouldn’t happen to have my bike, would you?”

“I do,” Castiel says as he types back a response before pocketing his phone. “It’s undrivable at the moment. I’m having my mechanic fix it now.” 

“How am I getting home to get my things?” 

“Benny will take you, he will be one of your guards.” Castiel stands, wings tucking close to his back as he straightens his clothes. 

"My guards?" Dean parrots, standing as well.

"It won't be safe for you to be alone now that we are going to be mates, so you will have two guards. I will introduce you to Benny when we get to the lobby." 

Cas gestures for Dean to follow, and he takes them to the elevator. When they are inside, Cas presses the button for the lobby. When the doors close them in, Dean's tail swishes a little faster and his heart jumps when he sees how high they are.

The 100th floor. 

They're 100 stories in the air.

Absent-mindedly, Dean grabs his tail and runs his hand down it before making an off-hand comment. "Was living so high up necessary? It takes forever just to get to the ground floor." He squeezes his tail before letting go and mumbling, "Just as bad as flying." Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Cas smirk.

Dick.

"I like the view," he replies softly. 

Dean continues watching him from the corner of his eye, it's something else to focus on aside from the numbers. What comes to mind, is that Cas isn't anything like he pictured someone like a mob boss to be.

Dean has yet to decide if that's a good or bad thing, but he's sure he'll figure it out sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A.R.T.s  
> Я не могу поверить, что пахан захочет быть с кем-то, кто живет в таком убожестве - I cannot believe Pakhan would want to be with someone who lives in such squallar.
> 
> ваше Высочество - your highness
> 
> У него назначена встреча с паханом - He has a meeting with Pakhan
> 
> котёнок - kitten (term of endearment)


	6. Start of Something Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention this was a slow burn? I promise it will get to it eventually, just be patient.
> 
> Chapter Title: Start of Something Good by Daughtry

In the lobby of Castiel's — and now his, but he isn't thinking about that right now — condo, a man, alpha most likely, is standing at the omega secretary's desk. The two of them are talking peacefully, which is a sight to behold when it’s between an alpha and omega. He's a burly alpha with a beard and a hat on. He's turned to the side so Dean can see a pair of sunglasses hooked on the collar of his shirt, pulling it down into a V and showing off his chest hair. 

He isn't dressed like anything special, or a bodyguard, but he's the only other person here aside from the secretary, the elevator man, the doorman, and Balthazar sitting on a plush couch by the entrance. That means he's his bodyguard, right? 

When Cas and Dean step out of the elevator, Inias, elevator guy, nods to them. The new alpha looks at them, his eyes scanning over Dean for a second before looking back at Cas. 

"Benny," Cas says before stopping in front of him. "I need you to take Dean to his apartment so he can retrieve his things. You are to bring him back here afterwards and help him get settled. I won't be able to be here, something has come up that needs my attention." 

"Sure thing, boss," Benny says with a southern drawl as thick as tree sap. 

Cas' wings are tucked neatly at his back, giving nothing away. It’s a stark contrast from when Dean was alone with him in the apartment. Sure, it isn't like they were giving all his thoughts and emotions to Dean, but they were definitely more twitchy when they were alone. He's just not sure what Cas having restless wings means yet.

Cas turns to Dean, drawing him from his thoughts, and gently grabs him by the neck. Dean stiffens immediately, not liking someone else's hand on the pressure point there. That's when Cas leans in and Dean's heart nearly explodes out of his chest due to adrenaline. Its a good thing he has blockers on right now, or he would be throwing all kinds of warning scents around like confetti. Before Cas kisses him like Dean is expecting, Cas diverts his course. Instead, he goes for the second most unwanted place and scent marks him. The junction where your neck and shoulder meet is intimate. It's a way only mates would dare do in public … oh … 

Now Dean just feels stupid.

Cas wants everyone to know Dean is his "mate" to show he's off-limits. And to be honest, for Dean's protection as well. 

Cas rubs his nose and cheek along Dean's neck before pulling back and meeting his eyes. "Don't cause too much trouble," he says before turning to Balthazar and saying, "Let's go." 

Balthazar nods, standing up, and making his way towards the door behind the secretary's desk and opening it for Cas. Cas walks towards him, his whole demeanor shifting to something more intimidating, more like a mafia boss Dean imagined him to be like. When he disappears through the door, Balthazar gives Den a cursory glance before following Cas out.

Dean is curious about what came up so Cas had to leave, but he can assume nothing good. 

Dean also assumes that he can expect this to happen a lot. Cas disappearing at all times because duty calls. That's a good thing though, he can use that to his advantage, so long as he's careful since he doesn't know what Castiel will return. 

Dean feels a pair of eyes on him so he turns to see Benny smiling at him. Dean narrows his eyes. Now he just has to figure out what to do about Benny. If he wants to get money to save up, he needs to lose his shadow.

"Let’s just go already," Dean grumbles and starts to head towards the front doors. 

"Cher," Benny says, making Dean stop in his tracks and look at him with furrowed brows. What did he call him? "We're going this way," Benny continues and points behind him to the elevator.

Of course they are.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

The green duffle bag sits on his bed, full of his possessions, and Dean stares at it. A single duffle bag. Does he really only have this much stuff? It’s pathetic. There are only a very minor selection of clothes, a pair of boots, his leather jacket, his bike helmet, his scent neutralizer, the scratchy collar he uses in panic situations, a few smaller things, and a couple of books he likes to read.

His entire life is sitting in that duffle.

He looks around his decrepit apartment and his chest tightens. He isn’t attached to it or anything, but it’s been his not-so-safe safe house for years. The place he’s going to be leaving for good and going to live with a random alpha he just met. An alpha that also happens to be in charge of a group of dangerous criminals.

What is he thinking? This isn’t going to be safer for him and his kit. He’s officially lost it. He should grab his duffle and run now. He could sneak out his back window and book it. 

But it isn’t like he’s planning on staying with Cas forever. Dean only needs some time to save up some money so he can go find Sam, because, yes, that’s his shitastic plan. Find the brother that left him in the dust and never contacted him after leaving. 

Great plan, Winchester. 

The thought of seeing his brother again after so long sends a new wave of nerves rushing through him. He doesn’t know if Sam wants to see him again. If he does, he never showed it. Sam hasn’t tried to contact Dean since Sam left, so it’s very likely that he doesn’t, but Sam has to be safer than living with the Russian Mafia.

That just leads to the question of where Sam is. Dean will have to use his time with Cas to find where his brother is. He’ll look at Stanford first since that’s where Dean knew where he was last. Stanford was Sam’s dream. He wanted to be a lawyer. It’s been six years since he left, so he’ll be in the graduate program. Even if Sam isn’t there, Dean should be able to find out where he went from there. 

Dean runs a hand down his face, holding his breath. It’s gonna be alright. He grabs his duffle, not wanting to make Benny wait longer than he needs to and slings it over his shoulder. He gives the apartment one more look over before leaving. Right outside, one of his annoying neighbors, a beta, is smoking on the walkway. He’s leaning on the wrought-iron railing with his elbows. Dean tries walking past him and hopes he’ll just ignore him this time, but he has no such luck. 

When he gets closer, the beta side-eyes him and smiles, blowing out smoke. “You goin’ somewhere, babe?”

Dean rolls his eyes plucking the beta’s cigarette from his fingers and is about to take a puff like he usually would, but stops abruptly when he remembers his kit. He hands it back and the beta arches a brow at him.

“Tryin’ to quit or somethin’?” The beta asks.

“Or something,” Dean mutters. 

When he sees Benny watching him from where he’s leaning against the car, Dean keeps walking, not wanting to cause issues if the beta tries something like he sometimes does. He walks down the stairs, and when he gets to the car Benny opens the back door for him before he gets to him. It irks him, but he doesn’t pick a fight about it. He’s gotta be the perfect omega, right?

But he can open his own damn doors.

“You got everything in there?” Benny asks, nodding to the bag.

“Yeah,” Dean says in a clipped tone, pulling his door closed. He sees Benny nod and walk around to the driver’s side, getting in. 

Benny starts the car up before pulling away. He glances at Dean in the rearview mirror, once, twice, before, “Tryin’ to quit?” He parrots the beta and Dean wants to laugh, but Benny is looking in the mirror again.

“I guess,” Dean says before looking out the window.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

When they pull into the parking garage, Dean is anxious. He’s bouncing his leg and looking around the garage. 

This could be fine. This place will be safe … for now.

They stop and they both get out. Dean grabs his duffle and slings it over his shoulder as Benny comes around to his side. 

“Need some help with that?” 

Dean looks at him and tightens his hold on the strap. “No, thanks.” 

Benny nods and motions for him to go ahead, “Need any help getting settled in?” 

Dean hikes up the bag more, following Benny to the elevator. He pushes the L button and they go up to the lobby. Dean doesn’t like the thought of Benny coming up to Cas’ penthouse and being alone with him. He may be his bodyguard, but Dean doesn’t trust him yet. 

“I only have one duffle,” Dean says and waits for Benny to get out. “I think I’ll be fine.” 

“Alright, cher,” Benny says and steps out of the elevator. “I’ll be down here. If you need anything, call the lobby.” He steps back and Dean presses the button for Cas’ house. Dean steps back and leans back against the wall and he meets Benny’s ice-blue eyes. They keep eye contact, and before the doors close Dean sees Benny’s lips quirk up in a smirk. He grabs the front rim of his hat and nods at Dean right as the doors close. 

The elevator dings and the doors open again, letting in the fresh scent of alpha and plants. It does wonders for washing away Dean’s anxieties for the time being. Slowly, he walks in and truly takes in the place. 

He walks inside and reaches out, touching a plant that is reaching out towards the light streaming through one of the many large windows. He wanders around the spacious area to get acquainted while Cas isn’t around. Dean loves the plants. They’re obviously well taken care of. He wonders if Cas is the one who takes care of them or if he has someone else do it for him. Does he have that kind of spare time?

Right out of the elevator, there’s a large dining room. Right next to the dining room is a kitchen and a living room off to the left. Dean looks down the other way of the hall from the elevator. There’s a room with a pair of double doors. The doors have a large textured glass pane in the center and the room looks bright on the other side. He looks back over his shoulder and sees a staircase going up so he goes up.

There are rooms all that Dean assumes are bedrooms. There is one more flight of stairs that looks to lead to a single room. It must be the master bedroom. Dean glances around and picks one of the rooms. It’s the furthest from the stairs. 

Inside the room, it feels lifeless, void of the warmth that the rest of the penthouse seems to exude. Something tells Dean that Cas never comes into these rooms. He throws his duffle on the bed and walks to a window. The curtains are closed so Dean opens them, flooding the room with natural light. It helps add some life to the place, that’s for sure. Looking out the window, he watches the tiny cars and people going about their daily lives. Look at them, going around like they don’t have a care in the world. 

Dean puts a hand on his stomach and thins his lips. “This will be okay, don’t worry little guy.” Dean looks down at his hand and cracks a shaky smile. “I’m gonna protect you.” Dean chuckles, turning around and leaning his back against the cool window. “This place could even be great for you to grow up, you know, if it weren’t for the fact the mafia lives here.” 

He leans his head back, resting it on the glass as well. He just needs to find a way to make money around here. Cas will more than likely buy him what he needs, but if he wants to leave before his kit is born, he needs to start saving now. A problem with that is his new shadow, Benny. Benny certainly won’t let him whore himself out for cash since he thinks Dean is mated to his boss.

If he does end up going down that road again, he’s going to need to be more careful. Can’t get caught by one of Cas’ men. His stomach flutters and he feels kind of sick again. He closes his eyes, taking a breath. 

Surely Cas will want him to make appearances with him in public for the sake of selling their mating. Dean might have to attend parties or some gatherings. Dean doesn’t know, what do mafia bosses do? 

Well, whatever it is, hopefully, it doesn’t involve tight suits in a few months, because that would make hiding his kit very difficult.

God, he hopes he made the right decision by not telling Cas about the pregnancy.

He’ll figure something out if it comes to that, though. He has to.


	7. Sink or Swim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that, I'm updating a day early! There’s no Cas in this chapter, but I’ll make up for that next chapter. This chapter is establishing more of Dean and Benny’s relationship. Tell me what you think so far, I love reading all of your comments!
> 
> Chapter Title: Sink or Swim by Falling in Reverse

It’s one of the coldest January’s Dean has felt in a long time. The bitter air bites at any and all exposed skin. This means Dean’s nose feels like it’s just about ready to fall off and his cheeks are as red as a freshly spanked ass. Oh, and his fingers feel like they’re going through rigor mortis they’re so stiff and ache when they move. Even though he’s wearing his leather jacket and his thickest jeans, which aren’t very thick in hindsight, he’s shivering. The fronts of his legs feel like they’re getting windburn.

That all aside, he still feels warmer than he did on New Year’s. 

Cas came home late last night. He was quiet about it, whether it was intentional or force of habit from years of needing to be quiet is up in the air. He heard Cas walking around downstairs and he heard his footsteps stop at Dean’s door. Cas had cracked the door, letting a soft light in, and he stayed there for a moment before closing the door and going up the other flight of steps. Dean had pretended to be asleep to see if he would try anything, but he left shortly after. 

It’s the next night now and Cas had to leave again to continue whatever happened yesterday. So he left with a promise he will be back by morning and he has something he would like to discuss with Dean. That made Dean a little anxious, but he's using this time for coming up with a game plan. 

That's why he's on his way to a club right now. 

Across the street, Dean sees an alpha walking past with a collared omega following obediently behind him. Her head is lowered, eyes on the ground. Either uncollared and fearing for your life, or collared and always submissive like that omega is but still fearing you’ll be beaten if you step out of line. What a life omegas get to lead. 

Dean reaches up to touch his uncollared throat and feels naked for a moment. It’s been years since he’s been collared to an alpha, but sometimes he misses when he doesn’t feel the weight around his neck. It isn’t like he misses the collar itself, he misses what it gave him. A sense of belonging, reason,  _ safety _ . But, really, he doesn’t miss not wearing the collar. The constant weight around his throat, there to remind him that, in society’s eyes, he isn’t his own person. That he can’t be trusted to make his own decisions, that he lives to please, that he may as well not have emotions because nobody will treat him as if he does.

A strong gust of bitter January air blows past him. He fucking hates winter. Omegas handle the cold a lot worse than betas or alphas do. 

He isn’t sure how he’s going to go about making money. Nobody hires an omega who doesn’t have an alpha’s signed consent, and something tells Dean that Cas wouldn’t want Dean working. At least, not working outside of the Russian Mafia. Stores need the omega’s alpha to give permission for the omega to work, and the alpha needs to be present during the omega’s interview. Oh, and, of course, the omega is mandated to be collared. ‘For the omega’s safety.’

It pisses Dean off. He doesn’t need an alpha. He’s more than capable of working. If only people would give him a chance, then he wouldn’t have to of worked the streets after John left him to die. He has to do the exact thing he tried running away from.

The Fox Hole is right ahead, its pink neon lights illuminating the entire block. Dean just hopes its the kind to let in omegas who are alone. He has his scent blockers on, and he isn't wearing his collar, so he could pass as a beta if he's lucky, but it won't mean anything if he gets asked for his ID, which he more than likely will. The plus side about this club, is that he's pretty sure Cas owns it. So, if news travels fast, the bouncers should know he's important to their boss, if not know he's Cas' mate.

Dean stands in the back of the line and waits his turn. He looks around, trying to find Benny, but he doesn't see him anywhere. The line goes faster than he's expecting, thankfully. When he gets to the front, the bouncer looks him over.

"You got an ID?" The man asks.

"He's with me," A familiar voice with a southern accent says behind him. 

_ Ah, so there's his new shadow,  _ Dean thinks.

Benny comes to stand beside him and the bouncer immediately steps aside and lets them pass. 

Looks like Dean was right about Cas owning the place. And apparently there's a benefit to being friends with the boss. 

"You know," Benny starts, keeping his voice just barely above the loud music, "It ain't too safe to be walking around to clubs now that your Pakhan's mate." 

And it also looks like his shadow likes to lecture. 

"I knew you were following me," Dean says while scanning the crowd. "Besides, I picked this place for a reason. It's owned by the mafia, so who would be stupid enough to try something here?" 

Benny doesn't say anything at first and just stays close to Dean. "Well, it's good to know you're at least taking risk into consideration." 

Dean hums. There are all kinds of people here. Shifters, half-breeds, humans, alphas, betas, and even omegas all mingling like its nothing. All the omegas here have a collar around their necks. They look expensive, like they're made of some soft leather, and they all have the same logo on them from what he can tell.

"You gonna tell Castiel I was here?" Dean asks, glancing at the burly alpha beside him. 

"He already knows." 

Dean can barely hide a sardonic laugh before muttering, "News travels fast." That’s gonna make it difficult for him to find a way to make money. Benny will probably tell Cas everything Dean does. He'll probably even update him when he takes a shit.

Gotta make sure your mate-to-be has healthy bowel movements. 

Dean smirks at himself but doesn't say anything else. Honestly, this little trip to The Fox Hole is an experiment to get a read on Benny. Dean wants to know what to expect from his bodyguard. How close he's gonna get, or if he watches from afar. Does he stop Dean from doing things he deems will tarnish Cas' name or if he will just report everything he does back to Cas? Will he take orders from Dean, or does he only take them from Cas? There's a lot he needs to know if he wants to find a way to make some cash and get away with it without Cas finding out.

"You gonna stick this close all night?" Dean asks, gently testing the waters.

Benny looks at him like he's contemplating something. "No," he eventually says and takes a couple of steps back to prove his point. 

Dean hums and starts walking away, knowing Benny is watching him. He makes his way to the bar and sits. He orders a can of pop, a little begrudgingly since he doesn’t have that much cash and even a dollar twenty five can hurt. Turning in his seat, he scans the people. There are female strippers on the stage right now, but he sees other stippers walking around the floor. A male alpha spots him and when Dean doesn’t break eye contact, the stripper winks and starts walking towards him. 

When he’s close enough, the stripper says, “Hey, kitten,” with a purr. 

Dean would gladly let this guy fuck him for some cash, he’s better looking than most of his old clients, but something tells Dean he has other plans. Plans that involve Dean spending money he doesn’t have. 

When the shifter takes one more step forward, he, not too subtly, scents the air. When he does this, a myriad of emotions flicker across the man’s face. His eyes widen and he clears his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows and shifts back. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, nevermind, I-I’m sorry,” and scuttles off. If he had been in his animal form, his tail would have been between his legs. 

Dean frowns. What was that all about? Was it Cas' scent? The alpha scent marked him before he left with Balthazar for a reason. Cas’ scent is scaring off his revenue. Maybe it isn’t smart to work at one of the Russian Mafia’s establishments when Dean smells like their leader’s bitch. 

How is he supposed to make money now? He'll have to scout somewhere else, outside of Cas' territory. 

He sighs, rubbing his face. He really hopes this will be worth it in the end. 

It's only a few minutes later when a gaggle of omega girls comes over to him. They surround him, reminiscent of a bird of prey swooping in for a kill. It makes Dean stiffen, but he tries not to give away his nerves. Women can be intimidating, especially when they're in flocks. If they're intention is to harm him, Benny would step in. 

Casting a glance over his shoulder, he sees two of them are half-breeds, three are full shifters, and one is human. They all have a collar around their necks with a bird logo on it, some of their collars have their names on it as well, but he doesn't read them.

"Jake was right, you are a cutie." The wolf half-breed leers and leans closer to him. “An adorable little kitten, hmm?”

He feels one of them grab his tail and he jerks, sloshing his drink and standing abruptly, baring his fangs at the shifter. “Don’t touch my tail.”

“Ohh, a feisty one too.” Another says.

“Well, he ought to be if he wants to survive as the Pakhan’s mate.”

Dean’s eyes snap to the shifter who said that and looks her over. 

“So it’s true, right?” the human asks. “Pakhan finally decided to settle down?” 

Dean doesn’t know whether or not to say anything. It’s obvious they already know, so it isn't like he would be putting himself in any more danger. Or are they simply acting like they know just to get a confirmation out of Dean? It’s not like Cas is trying to hide their relationship since he scent marked him in front of a bunch of his people.

“Yeah, looks like it,” Dean says, watching for a negative reaction.

One of the omegas sighs like she’s dreaming. “You’re so lucky, Pakhan is so kind.” 

“But also fucking hot as hell,” another whispers, sending them all into a fit of giggles. 

“Wait,” the wolf girl says, eyeing his neck. “You don’t have his mark yet.”

“Or collar,” he hears one of them whisper conspiratorially to another girl.

“When are you making it official?” Another girl pounces. “You need to move fast or he’s going to move on. Don’t play hard to get, kitten.” 

The nickname irks him, but he needs to pick his fights now. Instead, Dean rubs the back of his neck, stomach twisting at the thought of Castiel marking him. Cas said that Dean would have to bear his mark, but they haven’t talked about that yet. But talking about it will make it even more real.

“I don’t know,” Dean admits. “I figured he would decide when.” It’s the truth.

“Ohh,” One girl coos and grabs his arm, leaning into his side and laying her head on his shoulder. “You must be so nervous, I know my stomach would be in knots! I would want his mark now.”

“I’m not too worried about it. It will happen eventually,” or else he wouldn’t be faking a mating with the alpha right now. It’ll happen sooner rather than later more than likely.

One of the women leans back and gives Dean googly eyes. They make him uncomfortable. “You’re such a sweet omega, Pakhan is lucky to have found you.”

_ Yeah, lucky me. I had to almost die for this glamorous life, _ Dean thinks to himself sarcastically. But if they think he’s a sweet omega, he might as well play the part. Cas did say he needs to look like a perfect omega.

“If one of us is lucky, it would be me,” Dean says with a wink. The women titter and group closer to him. This isn’t exactly how he planned his night to go.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

By the time Dean makes it back to the penthouse, Cas isn’t back yet. The penthouse is quiet and the smell is inviting. He makes his way over to the floor to ceiling windows and stares out at the glittering city below. The view really is something else. Even if he hates heights. 

He wonders where Cas had to go. It seemed important, but if you’re a mob boss, a lot of things probably need your attention. 

Watching the cars headlights and taillights streak by is calming. He never would have imagined, not in a million years, that his life would somehow wind up here.

He may not have made any money, nor found a new way to do so — because it’s obvious he isn’t going to be able to get away with selling himself around here anymore with Castiel’s scent on him, not that he wants to do that anymore — but he can always try again tomorrow. 

It’s only just begun, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where did Cas have to go, hmm? What happened? Was it Alistair, or perhaps someone else? We may never know (until later, anyway xD) I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	8. Waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting early again because I hate waiting to post chapters, so here it is!
> 
> Cas and Dean talk in this one! Woo! I’ve been spending a lot of time planning further chapters for this story, and I’ve gotten up to chapter 19 planned. But since I’ve been doing that I haven’t been writing the current chapters. That means this is the last chapter I have written right now, but I’m gonna be writing a lot more now that I have quite a few chapters outlined. 
> 
> That being said, enjoy this chapter, and thank you all for supporting this story!
> 
> Chapter title: Waves by David Lewis

Dean wakes up to the overwhelming need to throw up. He scrambles out of bed and rushes to the bathroom and throws up in the toilet. He groans and spits out the taste in his mouth. He hates throwing up, he always feels even more queasy afterward. He puts a hand on his stomach and leans away from the toilet.

“Alright, little guy,” He stands up and rinses his mouth out after flushing the toilet. He looks in the mirror above the sink. He has bags under his eyes to show he didn’t sleep too well last night. Sighing, he grabs a towel out of the closet, deciding to take a shower and hopefully wash away this groggy feeling. 

The water pressure and hot water is nice. It’s a really nice change from his shitty apartment. He doesn't rush his shower, soaking up the comfort it's bringing him. He actually starts to feel better after a little while. When he finally gets out, he dries off and looks at his profile in the mirror. The baby bump is almost invisible. If anything, it just makes him look like he's had one too many burgers. He's not naive enough to think he'll remain this flat forever, but he could start wearing baggy clothing. 

Maybe he should have told Cas about it. But it's too late now. If he just comes up to Cas and tells him "Oh, and I forgot to mention I'm pregnant." It would make Dean look like he was lying and he didn't trust him. Which, he doesn't. Not entirely anyway. 

He seems like an okay enough guy, but Dean doesn't know his personality enough to feel comfortable telling him about his kit and risking its and his safety. 

Not to mention, there's no telling how Cas will react after being lied to. Finding out your omega is pregnant with another alpha’s kid isn't something people like finding out. Even if it happened before the relationship started. Alphas are territorial, and not a single one Dean's ever met likes knowing someone else has touched what they think is theirs.

But Cas hasn't given him a reason to think that he would be angry about it.

Other than him being a mob boss, that is.

With his towel wrapped around his hips, he peeks his head out. Making sure the coast is clear, he runs to his room and gets dressed. When he finally heads downstairs, the smell of coffee greets him. He scans the area and sees Cas sitting at the dining table with some coffee. The alpha is already dressed in a nice suit. 

Dean wonders if it’s a pain to get shirts on over his wings or if he dresses just as elegantly as he does everything else. 

“Good morning,” Castiel greets without looking up from a paper he’s reading. There’s a box right next to him, and Dean wonders what’s in it. 

“Morning,” Dean mumbles back. He eyes the coffee pot from where he stands in the dining room awkwardly, unsure what to do at this point. 

“Would you like some coffee?” Cas asks, and when Dean looks back at him, he sees Cas watching him. 

One cup won’t hurt. He nods and walks over to get some before coming back to the table and joining the alpha. It’s strangely peaceful between them, both sitting quietly and enjoying their coffee. Then Cas speaks up.

“We need to talk,” Cas says after taking a sip of his coffee.

Dean’s heart lurches, those words are never good. “We are talking,” Dean says, trying to lighten the tension he’s feeling now. So much for peaceful. Cas continues to watch him and it makes Dean uncomfortable. His eyes are intense, like a bird of prey. Maybe it’s just the air that Cas gives off. 

“I haven’t known you long,” Cas starts, “but I’ve gathered you like to use humor as a way to deflect when you’re uncomfortable.” 

Wow, way to call him out. Dean frowns and stares back at the alpha, but he doesn’t say anything. 

“Am I what makes you uncomfortable?” Cas asks, sounding genuinely curious. 

“Don’t know what you wanna talk about,” Dean says, deciding to be honest. 

Cas’ face lights up like it all makes sense. “I understand. It isn’t anything you need to be worried about. I just have some things for you, and then we need to discuss the mating bite.”

Dean hums. Nothing to worry about, he says. “What did you get me?” 

Cas slides the box toward Dean, without speaking. Dean pulls it toward himself the rest of the way before opening the top and looking inside. He takes a sharp breath and quickly reaches in to grab the gun. The metal shines where the light hits it and he looks over the weapon. Right on the barrel are the initials M.W. in cursive and he feels his heart swell. 

“You found my gun,” He whispers like if he speaks any louder it will break the moment.

“Yes,” Cas says in the same tone. He stays quiet for a little while longer, like he’s giving Dean time to really enjoy this moment, before speaking again. “I would like you to carry this at all times.” 

“I always do,” Dean says, setting the weapon on the table before looking at the other items in the box. There are only two other things. A phone and his keys to his bike. Dean pulls them out and looks at Cas. “My bike is fixed?” 

“Yes, but I need to ask you not to drive it without someone following you. I've given Benny and Gadreel a motorcycle as well so you will be able to ride when you want." 

That name sounds familiar, Gadreel, but he can’t put his finger on where he’s heard it before. After pondering that for a moment, Dean realizes everything Cas said and is shocked, to be honest. He wasn't expecting Cas to be so accommodating. Most alphas would expect an omega to comply with what they want, not the other way around. Maybe Dean needs to stop comparing Cas to most alphas and try looking at him for who he's showing himself to be.

"Thanks," Dean says and looks at the objects, not really able to meet his eyes. "For, y'know, all of this." 

"Of course," Cas says like its truly no problem at all. 

God, Dean feels like shit now. Cas has been nothing but nice so far and how does Dean repay him? By lying to him. 

"I think I need to apologize." Dean doesn't meet his eyes immediately, but after a second he looks up to see Cas is watching him with furrowed brows. "I've been comparing you to every alpha I know and that's not fair to you. You've done nothing to make me think you would act like that, so I'm sorry." 

Cas' expression softens and he gives him a small smile. "You don't need to apologize, Dean. I expected you to be apprehensive about me given your history with alphas. I want you to be comfortable here, and I need to earn your trust." 

If Dean didn't feel like shit before, he really does now. 

_Tell him_ , Dean's mind tries to tell him, _tell him now._

Dean opens his mouth, sucking in a breath, but nothing comes out. His heart is hammering against his chest and he starts to feel sick. He can't. Fuck. Fuck, he can't do it.

He closes his mouth and clears his throat, dropping his eyes again and fiddles with the keys. "Thanks," is all he can mutter.

Cas hums before speaking again. "We also need to talk about the mating bite." 

Shit.

Dean's heart plummets. He should have figured Cas would want to talk about that. Dean takes a couple of steadying breaths before meeting his eyes. Cas appears calm and his scent isn't giving anything away. This is like a business transaction to him, of course he isn't gonna show anything. 

"When did you want to do it?" Dean asks, hoping his voice sounds steadier than he feels.

"Soon, I want you to meet my family before I claim you. It's a tradition every Pakhan does before solidifying a mate." 

Dean swallows past the lump in his throat and nods, curling his tail around his leg. 

"It will also be your last chance to back out." 

This catches Dean’s interest and he snaps his head up. "You would let me back out?" 

Cas frowns. "Yes, I will not force you into mating me." 

Dean cringes. That did sound like Dean was expecting Cas to force him, but he hadn't meant it that way. He's just surprised is all. "Man," Dean sighs, rubbing his face and flattening his ears to his head. "I'm messing this up. I didn't mean to make it sound like you'd force me. I just wasn't expecting that option is all." Dean groans and leans back. "Here I am comparing you to other alphas again after I said I wouldn't."

"You can't break a habit in a day, baby lion. You are doing well." Cas' voice is soft as he says this.

Dean forces his ears to stand upright again and he chews his lip. "So, uh, if your family doesn't like me, what happens?" 

"It doesn't matter if they like you or not, it is my decision. It is simply a courtesy to introduce my mate to those closest to me." 

Dean nods and tries to remain calm. What is his family like? Cas isn’t anything like Dean thought he would be, so maybe Dean should go into this with an open mind … for the most part. These people are part of the Russian Mafia, after all. One can never be too careful. Just because Cas isn’t like the usual mob boss, doesn’t mean his family is going to be the same.

“You will also be needing this,” Cas says, making Dean look at him again. He’s pulling a card out of his pocket and holds it out to Dean. Dean takes it before inspecting it carefully and looking back up at Cas for an explanation. “That card is linked to my account, so you will be able to buy what you want.” 

Dean feels weird taking it, but if he’s going to be Cas’ mate, then it’s probably for the best he takes it, right? Dean thins his lips and his tail twitches, not sure he likes it, but he’ll take it. 

“What’s the limit?” Dean asks.

“There is none. I doubt you would be able to drain my account so easily.” Cas gives him a small smile. 

Being the smartass that Dean is, and falling into his habit of using humor to deflect when he’s uncomfortable, he smirks at the alpha and leans in. “So I would be able to buy a Lamborghini if I wanted?” 

“If that’s what you want, yes.” 

Dean’s brows raise just slightly and he leans back. Dean’s never had a lot of money before, so he doesn’t know what to do with this new information that he gets access to basically an infinite amount of it. He wouldn’t even know where to begin if he wanted to spend it all, not that he does. Cas probably knows this too, and that’s why he’s not worried about it. Then again, if Dean ever did something to fuck Cas over like that, he has the manpower to track him down and kill him, so there’s that too.

“Is there anything else I should know about?” Dean says, clearing his throat.

“Yes, one more thing. I want to take you to get a collar made today.” 

Dean freezes, his heart lurching and sinking to the pit of his stomach. “I need a collar?” 

Cas is quiet for a moment, watching him like he does when Dean starts acting like a skittish alleycat. “Yes,” He says carefully. “It will protect you. All of the omegas in the care of my family have one with our emblem. It isn’t something I am willing to let go, especially if you are out alone.” 

Shit, so all those omegas at the club Cas owns were under his protection? He doesn’t know why he’s surprised. Cas cares about the people in his protection. Sure, they probably pay Cas for his protection, but Cas goes an extra mile to extend that to make sure others know not to mess with them. 

“I’m never alone,” Dean mutters. When Cas doesn’t say anything, Dean sighs and rubs his face. “Fine, okay, how does this work then?” 

“I will take you to my tailor.” 

Dean glances up at that. “You have a tailor that makes collars?” 

“He makes suits, but he will make other articles of clothing as well.” 

Dean doesn’t say anything to that. He’s about to get a collar again to show the world he’s owned by an alpha he barely knows. The last alpha that owned Dean like that was his father. Dean’s biggest fear about getting collared again is that he’s going to get abandoned like last time. 

**✦ ✧ ✦**

The tailors isn't anything like Dean was expecting. It's smaller than he expected, for one, and it feels more inviting than he imagined a shop like this would feel like. 

Dean glances around, trying to get a feel for the place. That’s when the worker comes out from the back. He, as well, is nothing like Dean expected. He's shorter than Dean and he looks rather gangly and awkward. He's wearing a suit, but it looks like it looks like it needs to shrink a little to be a good fit. If he was the one who made that suit, Dean fears for what his collar is going to turn out to look like. 

When the man, a beta by scent, sees Cas and Dean, his face lights up and he comes to them quickly. "Pakhan, it's great to see you!"

“Hello, Garth.” Cas greets.

Garth turns to Dean and holds out his hand. "And who have we here?" 

“Dean,” Dean says and takes the beta’s offered hand, a little stunned this man works for a crime boss.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dean.” Garth looks between them before saying, “What can I do for you fellows?” 

“I need you to make a collar and a couple of suits for my mate.” Cas comes up beside Dean and puts a hand on his lower back. 

“Sure thing! I heard about you getting a mate, congratulations to you both. I know when I mated my Beth it was the best day of my life.” Garth beams at them before looking at Dean. He claps his hands together. “Why don’t you come with me.” 

He turns quickly and makes his way into the back. They both follow and Garth leads Dean to stand in the middle of the room. Dean is uncomfortable with the whole experience, but the beta’s aura is surprisingly calming. The way he continuously chatters gives Dean something to focus on and isn’t nearly as annoying as Dean imagined it would be. Before Garth touches him anywhere, he tells Dean where he’s gonna touch which is really reassuring. When it comes to the pressure point on the back of his neck, he’s extra careful. 

“Do you have any preferences in the material of your collar?” Garth asks when he finishes up all his measurements. Is he asking him? Why isn’t he asking the alpha in the room, that's the common procedure, especially if the alpha is the omega’s mate. When Dean doesn’t answer immediately, Garth looks at him, with what Dean is starting to think is a non-extinguishable smile, and says, “I have samples if you aren’t sure.” 

Dean glances back at Cas who is sitting on a plush bench against the wall. He doesn’t seem perturbed at all about Garth addressing Dean with the questions, which is even more interesting. 

“Okay,” Dean says when he meets Garth’s eyes. 

He brings over a book of samples and shows it to Dean. He glances through the materials, and since money doesn’t seem to be an issue, and Dean is going to have to wear this all the time, he goes for the softest leather and goes for a dark brown. Garth then has him pick out the materials for his suits. After he picks, what feels like the hundredth fabric swatch, Garth closes the book. 

“Alrighty, you guys, I’m all done here. I’ll make the collar first and get it to you by the end of the day.” 

Cas stands, his wings fluffing before smoothing over, and he straightens his suit. “Thank you, Garth.” Cas hands him his card.

“Anytime, boss.” Garth takes it and efficiently rings them up. He doesn’t say the price out loud, which Dean is kind of relieved about, before handing it back to Cas.

When they finish, Cas puts his hand on the small of Dean’s back again and leads him out the door to where Balthazar is waiting by the car. The beta opens the door for them and they climb in. Neither of them speak for the ride back. When they get into the penthouse, though, Cas finally breaks.

“You are unhappy,” He doesn’t say it as a question.

Dean looks at him, letting the scent from the plants soothe his nerves. “I don’t have a good experience with collars.” 

Cas hums and watches him. “This collar doesn’t mean I own you, Dean. It is simply to protect you, nothing else.”

They hold eye contact for a second before Dean looks away and starts walking to the kitchen. “Want something to eat? I’m starving.” Which is a lie. His stomach is in knots right now. He doesn’t hear Cas respond so Dean gets busy rifling through the cabinets for supplies to make a pie. 

Pie is always a good distraction against the inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A.R.T.s  
> львенок - baby lion (term of endearment)


	9. Wicked Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this chapter up just a few minutes ago, so I haven't looked it over for errors yet. That means there will more than likely be some. Other than that, here it is! Enjoy!
> 
> Chapter Title: Wicked Game by Ursine Vulpine, originally by Chris Isaak

Dean is sitting on the couch and staring out the windows again. He’s been sitting here since he and Cas got back from getting his collar made. It’s been constantly on his mind and his stomach hasn’t untwisted yet. Thinking about the fact that he’s letting Cas collar him … it’s terrifying. 

Although, he’s gonna have to let Cas bite him eventually too, which is even more terrifying. At least a collar isn’t permanent, getting a mating bite is. 

Dean’s stomach rolls with the thought of Cas’ fangs sinking into his neck. He groans and puts a hand on his stomach to try settling it, but of course, it doesn’t do anything. Maybe he should stick with thinking about the collar. Hell, he might not even stick around long enough for Cas to mate him.

Dean’s ears perk up when he hears footsteps coming from the direction of Cas’ office. A second later, the whirring of the elevator fills the air and Dean looks back, posture stiffening. He doesn’t get up immediately, though. If it weren’t something Cas was expecting, he wouldn’t be walking around so casually. When the elevator dings, he strains to hear what’s going on, but he doesn’t hear much other than Cas speaking to someone in Russian. 

He should really learn Russian.

Movement from around the corner draws Dean’s eyes and he sees it’s Cas. The alpha’s wings are held tightly to his back and his suit jacket he usually wears is off, with the sleeves of his blue button-up rolled up again to show off his tattoos. Dean’s eyes trail over them slowly for a moment, he hasn’t seen Cas without his full get-up a lot, but this look is really good on him. 

Realizing what he’s thinking, Dean stands up and clears his throat, tail twitching a little behind him as Cas approaches with a small box in his hands. 

“I’ve just got a call from Cole that Garth just dropped off your collar.”

Dean’s stomach seizes and he snaps his eyes to the offending box. That was faster than he was expecting. The dark-wooden box is carved with a flowing design around the sides. The top of the box is simple to draw the focus to a star surrounded in a ring of flames. It looks familiar. When Cas opens the box for Dean, the collar is sitting on a white velvet lining. He carefully reaches in and touches the leather. It’s soft and will surely be a million times more comfortable than the collar John made him wear. His fingers brush over an emblem carven into the front of the collar and, just like that, Dean remembers where he’s seen the mark before. All the omegas at that club he went to had this mark on their collar. 

“It’s my family crest,” Cas says to his un-asked question. He picks the collar out of the box and sets the box on the couch beside them. Cas looks at him. “May I?” 

Dean swallows and lifts his chin to expose his throat. Cas comes closer and carefully latches the collar around his throat. The leather is smooth around his neck. It’s a foreign weight that he hasn’t felt in a long time. At least, a collar that wasn’t metal or one that wasn’t old and scratchy.

“Is it comfortable?” Cas asks, looking genuinely interested.

Dean hums. “It’s gonna take some getting used to being collared again, but yeah, it’s… good.” 

“I’m glad. I want you to be safe, but I also don’t want you to sacrifice your comfort.” Dean reaches a hand up and touches the leather hesitantly. It’s weird having another alpha’s collar on him. “I can imagine how strange this must be for you.” 

Dean huffs a pitiful laugh. “You have no idea.” He thins his lips. “That last time I let an alpha put a collar on me-” He trails off and his heart starts to speed up as he remembers the metal collar digging into his throat. He remembers how his father grabbed Dean by the pressure point on the back of his neck and pinned him to the ground. He remembers screaming in pain until the collar choked off his airways as two other alphas started to crowd in on him.

The room starts to feel like it’s closing in on him and he’s beginning to get claustrophobic. He rips at the collar and throws it on the couch when he gets it off before he rushes out onto the balcony to get fresh air. The winter air is cold on his skin, but it’s just what he needs. He hears Cas call his name, but Dean ignores him as he walks barefoot to the railing and tries catching his breath. A strong gust of wind hits him in the face is rather soothing. A second later, he hears the sliding glass doors closing and Cas slowly comes to stand beside him. A wing hovers over Dean’s back and shoulders, but he doesn’t touch him. 

They remain like that until Dean begins shivering. That’s when Cas’ wing makes contact and Cas stands right beside him, giving off a lot of body heat. This man is a fucking heater. 

“Would you like to join me somewhere?” Cas asks, keeping his voice quiet.

Dean is hesitant, but he ends up nodding. His toes are frozen, but he’s able to hobble back towards the penthouse with Cas’ support. His fingers twitch restlessly as he tries to ignore the desire to have a cigarette. 

Another strong gust of wind has him stiffly wrapping his arms around himself. The warmth Cas offers is welcome. Sure, alphas run warmer, much warmer, than omegas, but Dean hadn’t realized just how much warmer that was.

“Thanks,” Dean mutters. He doesn’t know what he’s thanking him for, but it’s out there now.

“Of course,” Cas says like he knows exactly what Dean is talking about — at least one of them seems to — and wraps an arm around Dean’s waist and guides him inside. Dean says nothing more. 

**✦ ✧ ✦**

Dean wasn’t sure where Cas wanted to take him, but a room covered in wrestling mats wasn’t it. If he thought this would make him less anxious, he’s sorely mistaken. In fact, he’s slowly becoming more anxious. Dean takes a few steps from Cas, looking around skeptically. Does Cas want to fight him? Is he actually in trouble for having a panic attack? 

Fuck. Dean may be able to handle his own, but he’s not so sure he wants to fight a mob boss. Especially now that he knows he’s pregnant. What if he hits his stomach? If they’re going to be fighting, there’s no way Cas is going to be holding back.

_ Another good reason as to why you should have told him, _ his brain supplies unhelpfully.

“Why’re we here?” Dean asks, turning to face the alpha. When he sees Cas holding a gun, Dean stiffens and backs up hastily. He shifts into a defensive stance, his hand hesitating on the gun in his waistband. 

Cas holds up the hand that isn’t holding the gun before holding it out towards Dean by the barrel. Dean frowns. Is he trying to train him how to use a gun? He knows how to use one, though, and why not use his own? Dean lowers his stance, dropping his hand from his gun, and makes his way to Cas. He takes the gun and stops there. 

It’s foam. 

The last bit of anxiety seeps out of him and his shoulders droop a little. 

“Going out to clubs at night is much more dangerous now that you are known as my mate. And I realize you aren’t going to stop getting into dangerous situations, but also dangerous situations will be drawn to you more now. I am going to test your fighting ability.”

Dean switches the foam gun to his other hand and inspects it, not wanting to look at Cas but trying to appear nonchalant. “What, me taking down four drugged-out, rutting alphas wasn’t enough? Surely you have better things to do, is this really necessary?”

The corner of Cas’ mouth twitches up before returning to a neutral expression. “There is always room for improvement. And as my mate, I won’t be taking any chances.” Cas watches Dean for a moment and only when Dean meets his eyes does he continue. “I also want to make you focused on something else right now so you’re not alone in your head.” 

Dean looks away. At least he isn’t asking why he did what he did. 

Cas holds out a hand, making Dean look back at him. He stares at Cas’ outstretched hand, confused. “Your gun,” Cas clarifies. 

Oh. Dean takes it from the back of his waistband and lays it in Cas’ hand after a moment. After he gets Dean’s gun, Cas walks away and sets it on a bench that holds a bunch of other supplies. While he’s over at the table, he takes off his blue button-up shirt a lot more elegantly than Dean would think someone with giant wings would be able to. It’s honestly kind of distracting as he watches Cas’ back muscles flex. But then Cas is setting the shirt on the table and grabbing his own foam gun and turning back to Dean. His chest and back are covered in tattoos, just like his arms, and Dean is momentarily awestruck. 

If Cas wasn’t the leader of the Russian Mafia, Dean would be on him like white on rice. But all of Dean’s logical thoughts are telling him ‘NO, BAD IDEA!’ in big, bold, flashing, red letters. 

But damn if Dean can’t appreciate an attractive person. Criminal or not.

“Well,” Cas says, his Russian accent sounding marginally deeper. “Shall we begin?” 

Dean has sweat dripping down his face and covering his entire body. Cas is a much better fighter than Dean is, but that’s to be expected. Cas was more than likely trained in combat since he was a child. He isn’t attacking Dean to hurt him, thankfully, but even if he does land a punch, it’s only on his arms or legs. Again, even then he doesn’t hit hard. But it isn’t like he’s going easy on Dean, on the contrary. This is the most intense workout he’s had in awhile. 

But just because Dean was expecting Cas to be better in combat than him, and keep beating him, doesn’t mean Dean isn’t getting frustrated. 

It’s worse now because they’ve garnered a crowd outside the glass doors. They’re distracting, and Dean knows that Cas knows this. But Dean is guessing Cas doesn’t do anything about it because he wants Dean to focus. 

It’s worse,  _ again _ , because Cas keeps smirking and taunting him.

“Are you distracted, Dean?” Cas asks with a lightness to his voice. 

Dean grits his teeth and glares at Cas. He’s had it. Smug bastard with his stupidly attractive face and stupidly unaffected by this workout. The bastard is barely breathing heavier at all while Dean can barely catch his breath! 

“Do you need a break?” Cas asks, sounding only mildly serious. 

“Shut up,” Dean mutters. 

He doesn’t think before he acts. He throws his foam gun at Cas’ head as hard as he can. Cas’ eyes widen and he curls a wing around to in front of him, blocking the weapon from hitting him. While he does this, Dean charges. He uses his speed to get to him in a matter of seconds even though he’s across the room. Thankfully, that’s all the time he needs. When Dean reaches him, Cas’ wing is just pulling away from in front of him. Cas’ reaction is fast, but Dean is faster. Dean jumps high, knocking the gun from Cas’ grip and taking it for his own. His knees hug Cas’ chest, Cas’ wings flare, trying to help him keep his balance, but the force from Dean knocks them to the ground. Dean lands, straddling Cas’ chest and points the gun to the middle of his forehead. 

Cas’ pupils are dilated, his wings are sprawled out on the mat, showing the soft feathers underneath that Dean doesn’t usually get to see. Part of him feels that’s significant, but he’s too focused on staring Cas down. Dean’s knees are digging into his wings a little, but it doesn’t seem to be bothering Cas, so he lets it go. They stay there for a moment before Cas finally speaks. 

“Very good.” His voice has a heavier accent to it than before and it sends a chill down Dean’s spine. He clears his throat and gets off of him, straightening his clothes when he’s standing again. Cas stands as well, fluffing his wings and shaking them out before looking Dean in the eye. “Shall we go again?”

And so the night continues in much of the same way.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

Dean faceplants into his bed and groans as his muscles ache. He lays there for a moment before rolling onto his back, a hand falling on his stomach, and he stares up at the ceiling. He really needs to go to the doctor to check up on his kit. Dean didn’t realize the danger he was putting them through, but they’ve already been through so much. Dean had been smoking the whole time before, he had a harmful drug in his system, he was beaten and stabbed, and the amount of stress his body has been through, it would be a miracle if the kit was okay.

The question now is, how is he going to make an appointment without Cas finding out? The hospital more than likely has people working for Cas all throughout it. He’ll have to go somewhere else. Somewhere further away. He would have Benny or that Gadreel guy following him and they’d definitely report back to Cas if he goes to the doctor.

Dean thins his lips. He was stabbed not that long ago, he could use that as a cover. He closes his eyes. It’s not a perfect plan, but it will have to do for now.


	10. Runnin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title: Runnin by Adam Lambert

He’s sore as hell after his sparring session with Cas last night. As he’s laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, he just feels his muscles ache in a way they haven’t in a long time. He lays a hand on his stomach. Is working out like that bad for his kit? Dean runs a hand over his face and lets out a long sigh. He should go to the doctors or get prenatal vitamins or something. 

That’s a good idea. Really good idea, in fact. 

So he gets up and around before grabbing the keys to his bike, Cas’ card, puts on his jacket, and grabs his helmet. His eyes land on the collar Cas got him and he thins his lips. He has to wear it. He takes a breath before strapping it into place. When it’s sitting around his neck, he lets his fingers ghost over it for a moment, waiting to see if he’ll start panicking again. Thankfully, he feels much more calm than he did last night. 

He looks around the penthouse, but it’s quiet. Cas probably is in his office, or not even here, but Dean doesn’t think he’s supposed to go in there so he just heads to the elevator. That’s when he remembers the phone Cas gave him. He pulls it out as the elevator doors are closing and looks at the contacts. 

Castiel, Benny, Gadreel, and Gabriel. 

Dean frowns, who is Gabriel? Dean stows that for later before clicking on Cas’ name and sending him a text that he’s heading out for a ride. Common courtesy and all. Dean gets off at the lobby and nods at Inias. The alpha smiles and nods back. Dean looks around the lobby for Benny but freezes when he sees an alpha he wasn’t expecting to see again. It’s the alpha from the bodega that let him borrow his phone to call Cas that one time. Why is he here? Did he track Dean or something? 

The alpha looks at him and starts walking towards him. 

Shit. Dean glances back at Inias, wondering if he’d help Dean if this alpha tries anything. But he doesn’t seem worried at all. Dean looks back at the alpha, who is now standing in front of him. Dean fights the urge to pull out his gun. 

“Hello, Sir. I don’t know if you remember me. My name is Gadreel.” 

Gadreel. 

Oh. 

Holy shit, this guy is his other bodyguard. Did Cas have him following him before he agreed to the arrangement? It wouldn’t surprise Dean if he had, and he’s surprisingly not as angry about that thought as he would have been previously. 

“Right, I remember you.” Dean shifts, his tail twitching as he looks around. “I’m going for a ride, just so you know.” 

“I will follow.” 

_ Of course you will, _ Dean thinks as he walks past to the entrance to the parking garage. He walks up to his bike and a smile slowly grows on his face. God, he’s missed her. He runs a hand over her freshly painted black metal. She looks good. He’ll have to thank Cas again for doing such a good job on her. 

He hops on, putting on his helmet, and turns on the engine. He revs it, and curls his tail around his middle excitedly, tightening his grip on the handle bars. When he hears another motorcycle start, he knows Gadreel is on his own so Dean heads out. 

He needs to go to a store that has stuff for pregnancies. But he can’t go to a maternity store, not with Gadreel following him.

He ends up at a Wal-Mart. He isn’t sure if Gadreel followed him inside, but it’s safe to assume the answer is yes. He’s lazily perusing the pharmacy section, eyeing up the prenatal vitamins. He can use Cas’ card. That’s why he gave it to him, right? To buy things he needs. He’d also be able to withdraw money from his card as well to save up for when he leaves. That would mean he wouldn’t have to start selling himself again. The only problem with that is that wouldn’t he notice Dean spending a lot of his money and get suspicious? Cas has to check his account every now and then. 

Dean frowns. He’s wringing his tail nervously, and stops when he realizes it. He quickly grabs the vitamins and makes his way to the self-checkout. When he gets to his bike, he shoves it in the side pouch, refraining from scanning his surroundings for Gadreel to see if he’s watching him. 

“Hello, Michael,” A familiar voice says from behind him. 

Dean freezes, his blood running cold. Dean slowly turns around and sees the alpha he was never planning on seeing again. His salt and pepper hair and beard, he’s still wearing that same well-tailored suit, his blue eyes still as piercing as ever. Dean can’t move under them. 

“You,” is all Dean can manage to say.

The panther shifter smiles like he was expecting nothing less. “Please, we have known each other long enough that you can call me Cain.” Cain looks Dean over. “It’s been a long time,” He reaches out to touch Dean’s cheek, but Dean steps back. 

“I don’t do that anymore.” 

Cain’s hand levitates in the air for another minute, eyeing the collar around Dean’s neck like he hadn’t realized it was there before. His hand drops back to his side and he tries scenting the air. “I see you’ve gotten a claim on you, now.” 

Dean doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t know what Cain wants. 

Well, he has an idea. 

“I always knew you would find someone,” Cain continues and casts a glance behind Dean. Maybe he sees Gadreel. For once, Dean hopes so. Cain meets his eyes a second later. “Your mate is a lucky man. I’ll have to congratulate him on finding a mate.” 

If Dean wasn’t suspicious before, he sure as hell is now. “You know him?” 

The alpha looks at Dean for a long moment. “We are old acquaintances.” 

Dean narrows his eyes and steps back. Anyone who has known Cas for a long time, and seems to be on talking level with him, can’t be good. 

Cain smiles, if a little wryly. “Ah, so you’re aware of who he is.” 

Dean remains silent again. His instinct is to turn tail and run, but he knows he shouldn't. 

“You don’t need to worry yourself. I’m not going to try anything. I don’t wish to start a war between us when we both have more pressing matters to deal with.” Cain pulls out a card from his pocket and hands it to Dean. Dean stares at it without moving at first, but then he takes it. “In case you ever need something. Do give Castiel my best, it’s been a long time since we spoke.” And with that, Cain turns and starts walking toward his car that Dean knows pretty well. 

Dean stands there for a while, trying to calm his rapid heart rate. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. If Cain knows Cas, what if he finds out that Dean is pregnant with his child? 

Dean feels sick all of a sudden. He sits on his bike, shivering from the cold and breathes. He has to take a couple minutes to try and regain composure. He needs to get checked out. He needs to make sure his kit is okay. But he also needs to get out of here faster than before. He has to know. He should lose Gadreel, but that’s not a good idea with the fact he just ran into Cain.

God, dammit. This is throwing a huge wrench in his plans. He isn’t thinking straight, but he quickly starts his bike and takes off in the direction he knows a free omega clinic is. He doesn’t bother to check if Gadreel is following him, but he does try cutting corners quickly to shake him just a little. 

He might get Gadreel into trouble by shaking him though. Dean frowns. He slows down and curses under his breath. Why does his life have to be so fucking difficult? He decides to just let Gadreel do his job and follow him to the clinic. When he tells Cas, because he’s definitely gonna tell him, Dean can just say he wanted to get a check-up. He was stabbed on New Year’s, after all. 

It doesn’t take long before he’s at the clinic and sitting in the waiting room. He’s feeling twitchy. His tail and ears won’t sit still. He keeps thinking about what if Cain finds out. What would he do? Cas doesn’t know, and if Cain finds out somehow, Dean wouldn’t have Cas’ support simply because the alpha doesn’t know about his little situation. Even if he tells Cas now, there’s the likely option that Cas won’t help him anyway since Dean lied to him. 

It isn’t the first time he’s thought this, but he’s made a mistake. 

He needs to tell Cas. Taking some steadying breaths, he tries resigning himself to finally telling Cas about the kit. He might be angry, most likely will be, but Dean has to do this. Now that Cain is back in the picture, he has to. Dean doesn’t know what Cain will do. 

Dean knows he was Cain’s favorite omega while he was working the streets. It was pretty obvious. Now that Dean is claimed, will he back off? He said he doesn’t want to start a war right now, but who’s to say he won’t? It would be the perfect time to do it when Cas is focused on something else. It’s unnerving now that Dean knows that Cain and Cas know each other. 

His thoughts are interrupted when his name is called. He follows the nurse back to an empty exam room and answers her questions. She leaves shortly after that and it’s a little while until the doctor comes in. 

"Hi there," The woman says with a smile. She's wearing scent neutralizers, which is common practice for doctors and nurses, so he can't tell if she's an alpha or a beta. 

"Hi, Doc," Dean greets back, keeping eye contact. Then he remembers he has to pretend to be a perfect omega and lowers his eyes. 

"No alpha with you today?" She asks innocently and sits on her stool. 

Dean clears his throat. "No," 

She only nods, probably used to omegas coming in here without an alpha with them. "Alright, so what brings you here today? You said you're pregnant?" 

Dean nods. "I just need a regular check-up." 

"Okay," she stands up and begins to pull over a machine. "I'm just gonna need to lay back and lift up your shirt." Dean does as he's asked and keeps his eyes trained on her. She opens a bottle and hovers it over his stomach. "This will be a little cold." She squirts some out and puts the bottle aside. After that, she takes the wand and starts moving it around on his stomach. She does this for a little while before smiling. "Everything seems to be progressing normally. You seem to be around 3 months." She meets his eyes. "Would you like to know the gender?" 

He stares at the monitor beside him. He hadn't realized he was that far. Goes to show how little he knows about pregnancies. He nods, dumbly. 

She moves the wand around a little more before stopping. "Congratulations, you're having a boy. Would you like a photo?" 

Dean nods again, wondering where the hell his voice disappeared to. He's gonna have to tell Cas anyway, so he might as well have proof. When she hands the gray blurry mess to him, he stares at it for a long time. 

Holy shit. 

He's pregnant.

And shaking.

Well, he knew that, but seeing it like this, holding the proof in his hands, makes it so much more real. He rests a hand on his stomach, belatedly realizing the doctor already cleaned up the goo she put on him.

He doesn't know why he came back to his ramshackle apartment, but here he is, sitting right outside his door in the dead of winter. He's playing with the edges of the photo in his leather jacket pocket. 

He probably came here to stall telling Cas. 

But what feels like hours later, he knows his time is up. Gadreel come walking down the walkway before stopping right beside Dean, not saying anything. 

"I don't even know why I came here," Dean says into the silence. He closes his eyes and leans his head back against the door. "Habit, I guess." 

Dean sighs. “You followed me all day.” Dean doesn’t say it as a question. He gets up and brushes himself off. “Guess I'll give you a break and go face the music.”

Hopefully something can go in his favor this once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliffhanger, but if I kept the other section I was planning on having in this chapter, it would have been too long. I’m trying to stay within 2000 words per chapter so I’m able to update frequently, so I hope you understand! It just gives you something to look forward to more next week now!


	11. Suspicious Minds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter you've all been waiting for, Cas and Dean have a little chat! I've been waiting to get to this chapter, I'm excited to share it with you all and I hope it doesn't disappoint anyone. Tell me your thoughts, I'd love to hear them!
> 
> Chapter Title: Suspicious Minds by Elvis

Dean expected Cas to start asking questions the second he stepped foot off the elevator. But he didn't. Instead, he's been sitting in the living room with Dean looking like he's about to speak, but keeps backing out. His feathers puff up and smooth out repeatedly, and it’s starting to bother Dean.

It’s been ten minutes.

Dean isn’t sure what Cas is trying to play at. Maybe he wants Dean to speak first. So he does, finally having enough of Cas' feathers puffing up and smoothing out. "Something you wanna say?" 

Cas looks at him and stares for a moment. He looks kind of annoyed. That doesn’t bode well for Dean. 

"Are you feeling unwell?" He finally asks, looking like he finally gathered his mob boss persona back together.

Dean frowns, so he's definitely already heard. "I'm fine." It’s not a lie, he is fine.

Cas hums, looking even more displeased with his answer. "So why were you at the omega clinic?" 

Dean's heart jumps into his throat. Just because he knew this was coming, doesn't make it any easier. He hopes Cas can't see his panic. There was no way Cas wouldn't have known about Dean going to a clinic. Now is the time, though. He needs to tell Cas.

"Is there no privacy anymore?" Dean grumbles, wishing he would have been able to be the one to tell Cas. He needs to tell him, but he just wishes he could have done it on his terms. 

Ignore the fact that he’s had plenty of time to do that before. He doesn’t want to think about that.

"Not when you put yourself in unnecessary danger by deliberately trying to lose Gadreel.” 

Alright, Dean thinks, that wasn’t his finest moment, but he corrected himself and stopped. 

“I don't think you understand what kind of target you have on your back now, Dean." 

Oh, he knows. That's why he stopped trying to lose Gadreel in the first place.

"I want you to tell me what you were doing at the clinic," Cas continues.

"I wanted to get my stab wound checked out, or did you forget I was stabbed?" Dean growls, a little peeved that Cas is trying to command him. It doesn’t matter if this is how Cas is used to getting information. Dean doesn’t respond well to commands from alphas he barely knows. 

But that isn’t getting him anywhere. This isn't the direction he needs to be going. Don't insult the man you want to keep on your side.

"I wasn't feeling great,” Dean continues. “So I thought I might be getting sick or something.” 

Cas is quiet for a moment before speaking up again. “And?” 

“And what, Cas?” Dean asks. 

Cas sighs, his wings stiffening against his back. “Nobody goes to the great lengths you did to avoid somebody finding out they have a cold.” Cas’ eyes are narrowed now and Dean starts to feel unsettled. “I haven’t lied to you once, Dean, I would appreciate the same courtesy. I do not believe you are telling me the truth about the clinic. In fact, I know for certain you aren’t.”

Dean’s head is swimming with that last statement. What does he mean? He’s royally fucked now, isn’t he? Cas knows something is up. Shit, does he know? What does he know? Dean curses himself. He should have just told him the truth. Now Cas is gonna be pissed at him and he isn’t gonna trust him. It isn’t like Dean has given him a reason to trust him. 

What if, by trying to protect himself and his kit, he put them both in harm’s way? What if Cas kicks him out and breaks their agreement? Dean will be all on his own again and he won’t have any protection for his kit. 

Dean runs his hands through his hair, his breathing starting to become erratic. He can’t tell him. He’ll kick him out or make him get rid of his kit. He can’t do that. He won’t. 

He feels hands on him, grounding him in the moment. He's trying to keep his breathing steady, but it isn't working. He can't breathe. Fuck, he's having a panic attack. He feels Cas’ hand on his face and he hears him saying something. Dean focuses on Cas’ hand on his cheek, his thumb gently rubbing Dean’s cheek. When Dean finally looks at him, Cas actually looks concerned … for a mob boss that is. 

“Breathe for me, Dean.” Cas keeps his voice low and Dean does as he instructs. “I didn’t want to scare you, I’m sorry,” He sounds genuinely apologetic. Frustration is evident on his face, but Dean doesn’t think it’s being aimed at him. “I am not…” He sighs, his wings shifting behind him, before saying something in Russian, then trying again. “I am not good at being … kind. It was not my intention to upset you.” 

His accent is a little thicker and Dean wonders if it gets like that when Cas gets too emotional or doesn’t know how to handle a situation. It’s kinda endearing. It’s also helping to have something to focus on aside from his twisting stomach. 

“But you cannot keep secrets from me,” Cas continues. “Not if we are to make this appear as a convincing mating.” He pauses for a moment, seeming to be under control again. “I understand why you might not want to tell me, and that’s why I’ve been waiting for you to tell me on your own, but seeing as you’re only going to keep trying to go behind my back, you leave me no choice. I won’t let you put you or your child in harm’s way like you are.” 

And just like that, his nerves are right back. His hands are still shaking a little and he stares at them so he won’t have to look at Cas. “How did you know?” To be fair, he should have guessed Cas knew. 

“Meg took blood samples when you were in the hospital.” They both remain silent for what feels like hours, Dean still can’t bring himself to meet his eyes. He’s known all this time. Neither of them move either. Cas remains crouched in front of Dean which is a good sign, right? That means he’s not too angry with him, right?

Dean marginally flinches when Cas starts to talk again. “Is this why you wear scent neutralizers?” 

All Dean can do is nod. Everything feels very off, like he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. Cas should be angry. 

“How far along are you?” 

Acting on instinct, Dean snaps a glare at him, immediately on the offensive, pulling away from Cas’ hand on his cheek. The only time he was asked that before was when John made him get rid of his kit. He won’t do that again. It can’t be good for a mob boss to have their omega pregnant with someone else’s kid. Is he planning on how to fix the problem? Cas will have to kill him before he lets him do anything to his kit. 

“I’m not getting rid of him,” Dean growls, showing his fangs a bit. Mob boss or not, Dean will fight him if he has to.

“I’m not asking you to,” Cas says, his voice taking on a softer tone. Cas’ hands landing on Dean’s knees, and his wings slowly wrapping around them like a cocoon, like he’s trying to shield them from the rest of the world. 

Why isn’t Cas getting angry? Is it because this whole relationship is a fake anyway? He doesn’t care if Dean sleeps around?

No, he said before that Dean wouldn’t be able to do that. That he and Dean had to look loyal to one another or something. 

“Three months, give or take,” Dean finally says. He plays with the picture in his pocket before taking it out with trembling fingers and hands it to Cas. 

Cas’ eyes drop to it before taking it. He stares at it for a while before speaking again. “Who’s the father?” Dean shakes his head, rubbing his face. “A full shifter or a half-breed?”

“Full. A panther.” Dean takes a deep breath. No secrets. “I ran into him today.” He feels Cas go stiff and dread starts to creep deep into his bones. “What?”

“Cain Mullen?” 

Dean huffs a shaky laugh. “Of course you already know about that.” What’s the point in having to tell him everything if he already knows everything before he gets the chance.

“Dean, it is very important that you tell me everything right now.” 

Dean frowns, the feeling of dread coming back. “How do you know who he is? Who is he?” He knew Cain knew Cas, but if Cas knows him on a first-name basis, what does that say about Cain? Why is Dean’s life never simple? 

“He’s the Don of the Italian Mafia. We have been fighting over territory for years.” 

Now it’s Dean’s turn to go stiff. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“I wouldn’t joke about this.” 

Dean leans forward, resting his head in his hands, eyes closed. This is unbelievable. He can’t stop himself when he starts chuckling, slowly devolving into hysterical laughter. 

“What’s so funny?” Cas asks, sounding extremely confused. Dean doesn't have to look at him to know he’s making a face at him. 

Dean shakes his head. “Nothing,” he says, then mutters, “my life is so fucked up.” 

“How do you know him?” Cas asks, more gently.

Dean sighs, shaking his head again. “He was one of my Johns.” 

“You were a prostitute?” 

Dean glares at him. “Not many options for an omega trying to make it on their own.” 

“I’m not judging you, I simply didn’t know.” 

Dean groans and rubs his face. “Well, he was one of the regular Johns that would ask for me. I didn’t care since he paid well and was nice to me. I obviously didn’t know who he was, but then he started getting kinda possessive. It was unsettling, so I’ve been avoiding him for months now. Ever since he told me he wanted to more or less buy me. He was talking about how he hasn’t liked any omega like me since his mate died.” 

Dean takes a breath and lets it out shakily, remembering the times with Cain. How he would tell him he wanted to fill him with his kits. How they would make cute kits together. Dean grits his teeth. “He had a breeding kink, and he would always talk about getting me pregnant. Apparently his late mate wasn’t able to conceive.” Dean is starting to shake again thinking about this. He meets his eyes, letting Cas see his fear. “He can’t find out its his, Cas. He’d take him.” 

Dean watches the muscles in Cas’ jaw tense, and his hand on Dean’s knee tightens. “He won’t. As far as he’s concerned, the child is mine. He will believe it just as everyone else will.” Cas stands, his wings drawing back slowly and Dean finds himself wishing they would come back. His tail wraps around his middle to try and replicate the security he felt with them. It fails. He doesn’t like letting himself look so frail around anyone, especially people of power like Cas is. But what does he have to lose? 

His kit, but he isn’t going to let that happen. If it wasn’t for his damn past, he wouldn’t be so fucking weak right now. Who knew trauma could do that amount of damage. Dean never took it into consideration before. 

“Thank you,” Cas says, breaking his thoughts, “for telling me this.” Cas reaches out and puts a hand on the side of Dean’s neck in the way mates do to comfort one another. The crazy thing is that Dean actually starts relaxing and soothes his frayed nerves. This is why he doesn’t talk about his emotions. It leaves him drained and raw.

“Meg will be doing regular check-ups on you from now on.” Cas drops his hand and Dean nods. “I am going to speak with Gadreel. I would like you to take a bath and go to sleep. I would also like you to stop wearing the neutralizers.” Dean opens his mouth to say something, but Cas continues before he can. “We need to let the Bratva know you’re pregnant. Sooner rather than later. Nobody needs to know he isn’t mine. He will be born as a cat half-breed, so nobody will suspect anything.” 

Cas turns and starts to leave, but he stops before he gets too far and looks back at Dean. “And don’t let anyone coax you into training.” 

Dean narrows his eyes at him, finally starting to feel like himself again. “You knew I was pregnant and still brought me there to spar, though.” 

Cas gives a quick smirk. “I was going easy on you.” and leaves as soon as he says that. 

Cheeky bastard.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

Dean is sitting on the large couch in the living room, wrapped in a couple of blankets and staring out the window. The view is probably his favorite thing about this place. He couldn't fall asleep since his stomach wasn’t settling, so he gave up and came down here. The only light on is a lamp that’s giving off a soft glow. 

The elevator dings a little while later and Dean snaps his head in the direction, getting ready to fight. It’s more than likely Cas, but he can never be too careful. Thankfully, a familiar mop of dark hair and black wings comes into view from around the corner and he relaxes. Cas stops when his eyes land on Dean. His suit jacket is draped over his arm and the top buttons of his dress shirt are undone. He must be heading to bed. Instead of heading up to his room though, he walks over to the couch and sits beside him. 

“Why’re you awake?” He asks, his voice is loud in the quiet room. 

Dean turns his head back to the window. “I felt sick.” 

“Is it the kit?” 

Dean puts his hand on his stomach under the blankets. “Probably.” 

“Are you still feeling unwell?” 

“It’s not bad. My stomach just won’t settle.” 

Cas nods, getting up and leaving the room. Dean hears a cabinet open and close from the kitchen. He comes back a second later and holds out a pack of saltine crackers. The action is so simple, but it makes Dean crack a smile. 

“Thanks,” Dean says quietly and takes them. 

Cas stays standing. He’s staring out the window, but Dean knows he wants to say something with the way his wings shift a little behind him. “I don’t want to further upset your stomach by making you nervous, but you need to know,” 

Dean meets his eyes after finishing off a saltine. 

“Some of my siblings are coming over for dinner tomorrow night to meet you as my mate.” 

Oh. _Oh_. Great, this is great.

“Is there anything you want in particular for dinner? Does anything upset your stomach?” 

“Uh, can I actually go to the store and get it?” Dean asks, looking back at Cas.

Cas is squinting at him, mulling the question over like he can’t fathom why Dean would possibly want to do such a thing. “Of course, Gadreel will be accompanying you tomorrow and he will drive you to the store. There will be five of us.” Cas glances back at the stairs before looking at Dean again. “I would like it if you would try and get some sleep when you’re finished with those. You should be well-rested when meeting them.” 

Dean nods, eating another saltine. Cas nods awkwardly and turns to leave, but hesitates. He glances back at Dean as he stands on the bottom step. “Goodnight, Dean.” 

“Night, Cas.”

Cas continues to stare at him for a moment before the corner of his lips quirk up slightly in a small smile. “I think I like that name.” 

He doesn’t give Dean time to reply to that before walking the rest of the way up the stairs. Dean’s cheeks heat up. How long has he been calling him Cas to his face? 

Well, at least he doesn’t hate it.


	12. Alone in A Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late update, I was on vacation all last week and didn't have my laptop so I couldn't write this chapter. I’ve also had a lot happening in my life recently, but I finally sat down and churned it out and here it is! Just know, if this feels rushed, it’s because it is … I had absolutely nothing planned for this chapter and I kinda just winged it. (I hate writing dinner scenes like this so I don’t know why I keep adding them in all of my stories xD). Anyway, thanks for sticking with me! Enjoy!
> 
> Chapter Title: Alone in a Room by Asking Alexandria

Dean has always liked grocery shopping. It’s simple and something he knows. What’s new is having someone following him around the store like a puppy. Only, a lethal puppy. He’s walking around with the cart, some steaks in it, along with other ingredients. Gadreel doesn't say much, but Dean has been talking enough for the both of them. He’s not really expecting a response, but at least he has someone to talk to. 

He keeps his focus on the groceries, attempting to keep his nerves at bay. It’s nice to just let his worries disappear for just a moment. If he didn’t, he’d be focusing on the fact that he’s about to be in a room with a bunch of, most likely high-ranking, criminals. That happens to be Cas’ family. That also happens to be his future in-laws. 

Fuck.

Dean runs a hand down his face and scans the shelves for the garlic. “Can’t go wrong with garlic,” Dean mutters and swipes from the shelf. “Hopefully no one is allergic to it.” Dean muses and drops it in the cart. “Probably shoulda asked if they had allergies.” Dean glances at Gadreel, who is scanning their surroundings. “You don't know if they have allergies, do you?” 

Gadreel looks at Dean. “No, sir.” 

Dean hums. At least he doesn’t keep ignoring Dean when he asks a direct question. “Worth a shot,” Dean says and continues. He likes having Gadreel here now since he ran into Cain again. “Wonder if I should make dessert.” Dean looks at Gadreel to see if he has an opinion, but the man is simply watching him. Dean nods. “You’re right, everyone likes dessert.” He throws some apples in for a pie. “You know,” Dean starts again, only slightly wondering if Gadreel is annoyed he has to put up with his rambling, “You’re giving me a reason to talk out loud to myself and make me not look crazy.” He pats Gadreel’s shoulder, which the alpha stares at his hand for a second before meeting his eyes. “Keep up the good work, man.”

Dean turns back to his cart, seeing he’s done shopping. Well, time to face the music.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

When the elevator doors open, Dean is half expecting Cas to be standing on the other side. He isn’t though. Dean casts a glance down the hall, eyes landing on the pair of french doors that lead to his office. There is a muffled voice coming from that direction. Should he tell him he’s back, or does he already know? Is he even allowed in his office? Cas never said he wasn’t, but Dean just assumes. 

Gadreel and Dean set all the bags on the counter. 

"Thanks for the help," Dean says. He knows its his job but he technically didn't have to help him bring them all up. 

Gadreel simply nods at him before making his way back to the elevator, leaving Dean alone for the first time today. He glances back at the bags and begins unpacking the ingredients and prepping the food. It’s a couple minutes later when he hears footsteps coming into the kitchen. 

"So," Dean starts, keeping his eyes on the steaks. He doesn't have to look to know its Cas, his scent gives him away. "Should I know anything about your family before they show up? Like, names, perhaps?" 

"Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer are who will be joining us. I have a sister, Anna, as well, but she lives in Italy now." 

Dean stops and looks back at Cas. He isn't looking at Dean. Who names their kid Lucifer? Is Russian culture different or something? Did they not view Lucifer as … well … Satan? Then again, this is the mafia he’s talking about. Maybe they named him that so people would fear him.

"Lucifer?" Dean asks. Cas only smiles and continues to chop the vegetables for a second, but then he looks at Dean over his shoulder. Apparently, Dean must look nervous because Cas smiles more and turns to face him. 

"There is nothing to be worried about,  baby lion.. They are only … intimidating if you allow them the upper hand.” Cas glances back at the food before meeting his eyes again. “And do not trust them.” Dean frowns. “They may be family, but in this business, you can never be too careful. Gabriel is the only one who I trust.” 

“He the one in my phone?” 

“Yes, should anything happen to me. You can rely on him.” Cas turns back to continue prepping the food with Dean. That sentence makes Dean feel uneasy. But it also brings him back into reality. Even Cas is human. He could die tomorrow. 

Dean frowns and turns back around to continue working. Cas’ voice snaps him out of his thoughts a second later though.

“You know, we don’t have to cook. I was going to have hired staff come and do it.”

Dean shakes his head. “I like cooking. It’s the one thing I was allowed to do that I enjoyed.” He sets aside the potatoes he’s been peeling on the cutting board. “Besides, I have to look like the perfect omega, don’t I?” 

Cas only hums, continuing the prep the asparagus. 

“So, is there a reason I need to know that you only trust Gabriel?” 

“Michael never truly got over the fact that our father made me Pakhan over him. If we were in a situation where he could kill me and get away with it, he would. Lucifer, on the other hand, has always been on the rebellious side. He likes danger and he likes intimidating others. It was the reason our father didn’t pick him either, even though Lucifer wanted it as well. The power would have gone to his head and he would have driven us into the ground.”

“Is Gabriel younger than you?” Dean asks, wondering if that’s why Gabriel wasn’t chosen as Pakhan.

“No, I am the youngest. Gabriel didn’t want to be Pakhan. And my sister, Anna, is an omega. That left me.”

Dean bites his lip, casting a glance at him. His wings cover everything but his head. Dean takes a moment to look them over. From the first time he saw them, he wanted to run his fingers through the feathers. There are some white and dark brown mixed in every so often. They really are beautiful. Menacing, too. He looks back at the counter. 

“Do you like it?” He asks, voice quiet.

“I do what I must.” 

Well, that’s a very non-answer if Dean’s ever heard one. But he gets it. 

They stay quiet after that, working in companionable silence. They seem to work together in the kitchen pretty well. Once everything is cooking, Cas asks Dean to go up to his room to put on one of the suits Cas got him, so he does. It takes longer than he thought it would since he’s never worn a suit, but he finally gets it looking decent.

When he heads back downstairs, he hears Cas talking to someone in Russian. Dean looks down the hall to Cas’ office and sees a short man with longer sandy-brown hair. The man’s wings have several different variations of brown throughout them with some white as well. The wings are smaller and they end right above his ankles. He must be one of the brothers. There aren’t many half-breeds around here, even for New York City. 

Cas looks up and locks eyes with Dean. The short man straightens and turns around when he must notice Cas’ attention isn’t on him anymore. Dean’s first instinct is to stiffen, but he tries to relax. If that’s Gabriel, he isn’t a threat … right? Cas said he could trust him. 

Cas must see his fight or flight instincts kick in because he narrows his eyes at the man and growls, “Behave.” 

The stout man salutes him. “Message received loud and clear, Pakhan.” 

“Gabriel,” Cas growls, but Gabriel ignores the growl and starts walking towards Dean. Cas doesn’t hesitate, his wings flaring before tucking back in, and follows his brother. 

With the reassurance that this is Gabriel, it makes Dean feel a little better. When Gabriel gets within reach, he holds out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Dean-o.” 

Dean narrows his eyes at him, not liking the nickname, and takes his hand in a firm grip. “You too.”

Gabriel’s eyes widen more than necessary and smiles, whistling. “Wow, Cassie, this one’s got a grip on him. You sure he’s not an alpha?” Gabriel chuckles. “I bet he’s a real wildcat.” Gabriel winks and chuckles at his own joke. Dean narrows his eyes further, his tail swishing a little. Cas’ warning growl deepens and Gabriel immediately lets go of Dean’s hand, but his smile never wavers. His wings droop only slightly, but it makes Dean wonder if it’s a show of submission.

Dean knows he should keep his mouth shut, but he’s never been on to lay down without getting a word in. He arches a brow at the short alpha. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

There's a deafening silence for a second before Gabriel throws his head back and belts out an uproarious laugh. When he calms down, he wipes a stray tear from his eye. "I like him, he's a keeper."

Something that sounds a lot like a doorbell rings throughout the penthouse and Dean frowns and looks around. Castiel, on the other hand, sighs and straightens himself out, wings tucking neatly against his back. 

"That’s them," Castiel says, sounding almost displeased. "Dean, will you begin setting the table?" 

"Sure," Dean nods and makes his way to the kitchen, his nerves starting to come back. He has to keep himself calm though since he can't wear scent neutralizers anymore. Dean hates that. Alphas always make sexist comments about him or his scent. The only way he could stop that was by wearing the neutralizers. He hopes Cas' brothers won't do that since he's the Pakhan's mate. 

At least, they won't say anything to his face … hopefully.

When he’s setting the last plates on the table, he hears voices. The scent of two new alphas slowly drifts into the room and Dean fights the urge to wrinkle his nose. They have an underlying pine scent, but the other two scents overpower the pine. He hears Gabriel say something loud in Russian followed by laughter. It makes Dean realize he didn’t notice Gabriel having a scent. Dean frowns, making a mental note of that for later. Maybe he’s just wearing neutralizers. Setting the last plate down, he starts walking towards the voices. 

When he comes into view, he sees the two new alphas. One is a blonde man with wings that are black, white, and some orange. They’re really stunning and Dean tries not to stare. The other man has back hair and his wings are black, brown and white. They’re similar to Cas’, but with a lot more brown. 

Four sets of eyes snap to him when they notice him walking towards them. He fights back the urge to turn tail and bolt. Three pairs of intense stares is too much for Dean’s tastes. Dean is just thankful that Gabriel seems a lot less intense than his siblings. 

The blonde man smiles, looking Dean over. “Well, you’re a lot more attractive than I imagined you’d be.” The man smirks at Cas, who is glaring at him.

“I expect you to be polite, he is my mate. I will not tolerate you treating him like anything else.” Cas says, pulling out his alpha voice that Dean hasn’t heard before. It’s deep and his accent gets heavier, which is something Dean refuses to admit he thinks is kinda hot, and it commands respect. Dean shifts and swallows thickly, not letting his ears flatten and show he’s actually getting affected by him using his alpha voice.

The blonde man sighs. “You don’t have to worry, I’m going to play nice.” He turns toward Dean and offers a hand. “I’m Lucifer.”

Dean doesn’t bat an eye and takes the offered hand. “Dean.”

Lucifer’s smile flickers and there’s something like a flash of disappointment in his eyes, but it’s gone in an instant, replaced by annoyance when Gabriel starts cackling behind him. 

"Like I said," Gabriel sighs, wiping away a tear. "I like him." 

"He has more than likely already heard our names, Lucifer. There's no need to get worked up," The man, presumably Michael, says. 

"Of course he's heard of us, he's Pakhan's mate." Gabriel then claps his hands and beams at Cas. "I also heard there'd be food. I hope you weren't the one cooking, Pakhan." Gabriel winks. 

"No, Dean did," Cas says, sounding annoyed. Dean is about to protest that he helped, but Cas continues before he can. "Follow me to the dining room, Dean has already set the table for us." 

When they all take their seats, Dean by Cas’ side, they start eating. It feels tense, in Dean’s opinion. Nobody is speaking, and Michael keeps staring at Dean like he’s planning how many ways he could kill him. It’s making him extremely edgy. Gabriel keeps rambling about how he wants Dean for himself just so he can cook for him, which makes the staring a little more bearable. 

Thankfully, Lucifer decides to finally speak up, which draws Michael’s attention from Dean, but only after everyone finishes their food. 

“So, where did you find your omega?” Lucifer asks, taking a sip of his wine.

“He was the one who took down the alphas from Alistair’s gang,” Cas said matter-of-factly. 

“Ohh, the one who helped little Sammi?” Gabriel turns glittering eyes to Dean like he’s just heard the best news in the world. “I have so many questions. We can skip the initiation now that I know that was  _ you _ .” 

Dean’s brows knit together. This is the first he’s hearing about any sort of initiation. Would he have had to go head to head with someone to prove his worth? That he wouldn’t be a burden on Cas? Dean casts a glance at Cas, but he looks like he wasn’t aware of the initiation either. Dean wonders just how much he lets Gabriel get away with. 

Perks of being the boss’ favorite, he supposes.

“There would have been no initiation.” Cas arches a brow at Gabriel, challenging him to argue. 

Gabriel sighs and leans back. “You left all your fun sides in Russia,” Gabriel pouts. 

Dean is bewildered. This family dynamic is  _ nothing _ like what he expected. Gabriel basically just insulted the boss of the Russian mafia, brother or not, and got away with it. Wouldn’t that make Cas look weak for letting someone talk to him like that? This whole situation makes him … he doesn’t even know how he feels about it. He should be thankful that they don’t seem to be as ruthless as he’d imagined, but it also is a little unsettling. He doesn’t know what to expect anymore.

Dean is getting a little restless just sitting here with nothing to do. He curls his tail around his leg and then curls it, then repeats it. His ears pivot here and there to listen to the noises around them, but nothing is happening. Then Cas speaks. 

“If everyone is done,” Cas says and begins to move to get up, but Dean sees an opportunity to get out of this situation. 

“I’ll clear the table,” Dean says and stands slowly, taking his plate. He walks around and collects the rest of the plates. Cas only smiles, allowing Dean to go. Dean knows he isn’t fooling him. Cas is too smart to know Dean is doing this as an act. The smirk that Cas has to wipe away makes Dean want to pluck one of his feathers out.

“He’s well trained,” Lucifer hums and leans back so Dean can grab his plate. Dean resists the urge to accidentally hit him in the head with the plate when he’s pulling it back. He collects the rest of them before moving into the kitchen. 

Dean is ready for them to leave. It’s not that he thinks it went bad, but he’s just drained. Gabriel was … well, maybe he’ll take a little getting used to, but he was fine. Lucifer seemed kind enough, for a ruthless mobster, during dinner. Intense, but fine. It was Michael that was giving Dean the creeps. He’s all intense looks and hard unnerving edges that made it so Dean couldn’t relax. 

He’s putting the dishes in the dishwasher when he hears someone come into the kitchen. His ears perk up and he glances over his shoulder. Lucifer is standing by the island, pulling out a stool and sitting down. His wings are hanging lazily on his back, showing how relaxed he is in the moment. 

“I don’t know where Castiel found you, but I think you’re actually good for him,” Lucifer says as he picks up an apple to inspect it. 

Dean frowns, keeping an eye on him. This could be a test. Good omegas don’t question alphas. Dean bites his tongue, continuing to fill the dishwasher. “Thank you.”

“Yes, well, you’re quite the catch.” Lucifer stands and turns. “I look forward to seeing you around, Dean.” 

Dean watches as the alpha leaves the room and he sees Cas walking with Gabriel and Michael following. Cas casts a glance at Lucifer then Dean before continuing to the elevator. They must be leaving. 

Good, Dean thinks. He doesn’t want to have to act anymore. Tonight was surprisingly draining.

Once Cas sees them all out, Dean makes his way out and falls onto the couch after throwing his suit jacket off and onto the back of it. He lets out a long sigh, finally relaxing again, and closing his eyes. Cas’ scent of pine and rain does wonders to help him relax. 

“Are you alright?” Cas asks when he comes back from the elevator. 

“Yeah,” Dean opens his eyes and glances at the alpha. “Is his name really Lucifer?”

Cas cracks a small smile, leaning back into the couch, adjusting his wings a little so he isn’t crushing them. “No, it’s Louka. He … adopted … that name for intimidation purposes. It seems to satisfy some kind of primal itch he has.” Cas glances past him to the windows and a playful smirk works its way onto his face. “He likes to see the looks on people’s faces when he tells them his name.” Cas chuckles, dropping his chin to his chest. “I imagine he was disappointed when you gave no reaction.” 

Dean doesn’t stop the smile from showing. It’s strangely nice to see a big bad Russian mob leader smiling over something as small as disappointing his brother like that. 

“How was dinner?” Cas asks, coming back to his normal look. 

“Good,” Dean clears his throat and rubs his neck. “Michael gave me the creeps a bit with the intense stares.” 

“Yes, he has a certain intensity about him that takes some getting accustomed to. But it was important for you to meet them, to be introduced into the family for us to be mated.”

Dean curls up on the couch, getting comfortable as he fights back a yawn. “Yeah, I get it.” He loses, and the yawn wins out. 

“You’re tired.” 

Thanks captain obvious.

“Go, I will have dinner cleaned up.” 

Dean frowns at him. “I can do it, you don’t have to.” Dean gets up, yawning again and his ears flatten against his head. Cas stands with him, shaking his head. He walks over and puts a hand on the small of Dean’s back as he guides them to the stairs. The feathers of Cas’ wings gently brush against him. It sends goosebumps down his arms. 

“I will have one of the maids come. Go, rest. I imagine this took more out of you than you think.” 

“Okay,” Dean croaks out before clearing his throat. “I’m fine, but okay.” He’s not gonna complain too much about getting to go to bed. He’s always hated doing dishes. 


	13. The Wounded World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise chapter! Since I took awhile last time to update, I decided to give you guys an early update to make up for it.I was able to write a large chunk of this chapter while I was getting my hair done. I was genuinely surprised by how productive I had been xD Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Chapter Title: The Wounded World by The Amity Affliction

Dean is sitting in the living room, just having work up from a nap in the sun. It was one of the rare days that the sun had been out, now hidden behind the clouds again, so Dean took the opportunity and lounged for a bit. Cas has been working in his office all day and Dean is bored out of his mind. He’s still lying on the couch, it’s incredibly comfortable, and staring at a few hanging plants that are in front of the large windows. They’re a vibrant green. All the plants in the penthouse are. 

Dean glances around at all the plants that he can see without moving. A noise behind him makes his ears swivel back. He doesn’t have to look to know it’s Cas, so he simply speaks.

“You must have magic fingers, Cas.” Dean peeks his head over the back of the couch and sees Cas staring at him with slightly widened eyes and flared wings, before he composes himself again. “These plants are practically glowing.” 

Dean watches his wings curiously as they puff up and he shakes them out, his expression never changing from its stoic look. “Thank you,” He sets his coffee mug on the counter and looks at Dean again. “Did I wake you? Last I knew you were sleeping in the sun like a housecat.” 

Dean scoffs. “Oh, don’t go mocking my cat attributes there, feathers.” Dean sits up more, not moving from the sun. What, it felt nice. There’s a small smirk on Cas’ face so Dean knows he isn’t overstepping, so he continues. “If you get to pick on me acting like a housecat, then I can call you out on your bird-like tendencies.” 

Cas looks at him contemplatively, his smirk never leaving. “I don’t have any such tendencies.” 

“Denial,” Dean says and stands up, walking over to Cas after stretching with a large yawn. He catches Cas watching his movements, his eyes having dipped to where Dean’s shirt rode up a hair to expose his stomach. Dean straights his clothes and Cas’ eyes snap back up to his. 

“Enlighten me, then. What are they?” Cas replies casually, his voice deep enough to almost sound like a playful purr. Dean thinks he may be having a dream, but this is way too real to be a dream. Is Cas flirting with him?

“The staring,” Dean quickly spits out to stop his thoughts from delving deeper into that mess. Cas furrows his brows at him. “The amount of times I’ve caught you staring at me is astronomical. It’s the really intense stare too that birds get when something catches their eye. You do the bird-starey thing.” 

Cas hums, his eyes raking over Dean very quickly before meeting his eyes again. “You have caught my eye.” Dean is struck dumb at that for a moment before he splutters, trying to think of something. That was definitely flirting. Cas is flirting with him. Does that mean … does Cas like him? Does he actually  _ want _ Dean as his mate now? Or is he reading too far into this?

Oh God, please let him be reading too far into this.

But really, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to end up mating the man anyway. And if he were being honest with himself, he doesn’t abhor the idea as much as he did in the beginning. There are much worse alphas to be tied to than Cas. And that’s saying something, considering he’s the leader of one of the most dangerous crime organizations Dean knows of.

“There are more,” Cas says, drawing Dean back. “Pleants.” The alpha continues before Dean can ask what he’s talking about. “There’s a greenhouse on the roof. It holds vegetable plants and some flowers.” 

“You can grow them in winter like this?” Dean asks, genuinely surprised. 

“Given proper conditions, yes. I could show you how I care for the plants if you’d like sometime.” 

Dean chuckles, shaking his head. “Not a good idea. I’ve tried it before, but they all died horrible deaths.” 

“That’s what I would be here for.” Cas smiles at him softly, his earlier playful smirk gone. This simle leaves a wave of butterflies twisting Dean’s stomach. 

“Yeah, maybe.” Dean clears his throat. “Why do you have all these plants anyway?” He reaches out and touches a leaf close to him gently. 

“They help me focus.” Cas admits, coming to stand by the plant Dean is touching. The proximity of them now feels a lot more intimate, sending Dean’s heart into a rampage. “Back when I was a young alpha, I was very bad at controlling my anger. My sister, Anna, had gotten me to turn gardening into an outlet. It helped me reign in my focus and made me much more level-headed.” Cas smiles at the white flower coming from the plant and runs his long fingers up the shaft of it. It’s mesmerizing to watch. He looks like a completely different person right now. 

“I believe gardening is actually one of the reasons I became Pakhan.” 

Dean chuckles, dropping his eyes to the plant again. “That’s one of the weirdest things I’ve heard.” 

Cas surprises Dean by chuckling. Dean snaps his head up to see him. His head is dropped so his chin is touching his chest, the corners of his eyes are crinkled, and his mouth is turned up in a large smile. He looks so much younger. People talk about how beautiful Dean is, but those people have never seen Cas like this. So carefree. So light. 

It makes Dean wonder what kind of man he would be if he hadn’t been born into this life of crime and darkness.

“Yes, I often think that. It is odd, but I believe it’s true. Gardening gave me an outlet, while my brothers merely tried honing their instincts to help them become more powerful. I never let myself be ruled by instinct. To be in charge of an operation as intricate as mine, you must be in control.” 

Hearing that makes Dean feel a little more relaxed. Sure, it’s only Cas’ word, but hearing that he’s in control of himself is calming. This little heart to heart is starting to make Dean see the alpha in a new light. A light he really didn’t want to be seeing him in since he still isn’t sure if he’s going to be staying here for too long. 

Cas draws his eyes from the plant to Dean, meeting his eyes. Dean opens his mouth, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say. It’s Dean’s instinct to say something witty in a situation like this, but he doesn’t want to. The situation feels too … real to crack a joke. And Cas had said before that he isn’t good at feelings, just like Dean, so Dean feels like this is important. 

The moment is broken by Cas' phone ringing. Annoyance crosses Cas' features but its replaced by, what Dean is starting to call, his Pakhan face. 

He answers it, "Yes?" Dean hears some muffled response and Cas straightens immediately, saying, "Send him up," and hanging up. He turns to Dean with hard eyes. "Go get towels, water and a medical kit from the bathroom down here." 

Sensing the urgency, Dean shoots to the bathroom and gets the supplies. Thankfully, they don't take him long to find. He hears a chime through the penthouse signifying someone coming up the elevator, so he hurries back out. When he gets there, the door is opening and he sees Benny step in with that cat boy he saved on New Year's Eve. 

His name was Samandriel, right?

Cas directs Benny to the living room where Benny lays the smaller omega on the couch. Dean silently puts the supplies on the coffee table and steps back while Cas and Benny start patching him up. Samandriel is whimpering and bleeding and unconscious. He's wearing a collar with the Rutkevich family emblem on it, but it looks torn. It makes Dean wonder if he should Dean have his collar on right now. He did with the dinner the night before since his family was coming. Now Benny is here, but it doesn't seem like the time to run and grab it. It probably doesn't matter so long as he's in the penthouse. 

Do all omegas get taken here instead of the hospital? 

Once the omega is patched up, Cas covers him with the large cream-colored blanket Dean had been using previously. They had removed his bloody shirt and Cas straightens, calling a maid to bring some clean clothes up for Samandriel. 

"What happened?" Cas asks Benny once everything is settled down. 

"It was Alistair. His gang is retaliating for what happened. We think they injected Samandriel with Red." Cas snarls and moves to the kitchen. He comes back a moment later with a glass of something and a glass of water. The smell hits Dean and he nearly gags, remembering the scent from when Cas broke into his apartment and gave him a gross medicine. 

"Have they been dealt with?" Cas asks, setting the foul liquid on the coffee table.

"One got away, but we have the other in the basement for you." 

"Good," Cas says and the ‘doorbell’ chimes. Cas stares at the elevator, his wings stiff against his back and his eyes are narrowed. The doors open and someone steps out. Meg Masters. The doctor. Maybe that’s why they brought the omega here instead of the hospital, because she wasn’t there? 

Meg has a bag down by her side and she throws some clothes on the coffee table as well. “I brought the clothes, what’s happened?” She eyes the glass on the coffee table and growls. “Was he given Red?” 

Cas gently tilts the omega’s head to the side, exposing his neck. He points at a red spot in the juncture that has a little red pinprick in the center. “I found this when cleaning him up. Take some blood samples to be sure, but I’ve already made a medicine to counteract the drug if you haven’t brought something to flush it from his system.”

Meg scoffs. “I always carry that shit with me anymore. Red is everywhere.” Meg opens her bag and pulls out a IV pole, bag of some clear fluid, and a needle. 

“If I am not needed here any longer, I have someone to talk to.” Cas doesn’t wait for a response before he starts leaving, Benny following him. “Dean will be here if you need help.” 

Meg only hums in response. Dean isn’t sure what to do now that it’s just him, Meg, and an unconscious omega. After a couple minutes, Meg is packing away a few blood samples as well as her supplies. The only thing she’s leaving up is the IV bag. She sighs and sits on the chair opposite of the couch. 

“That’s all I can do for him, now we just have to wait.” Meg’s stomach growls and it’s loud in the quiet room. She only sighs again. “And of course this had to happen right before I made dinner.” 

Dean glances at the omega on the couch before looking back at her. “There’s food here you can make if you’re hungry. I can watch sleeping beauty.” 

Meg looks to the kitchen before getting up. “I think I will.” When she reaches the fridge, she looks at him. “Spaghetti sound good?” 

“You don’t have to make me anything.” 

“If I’m eating Pakhan’s food, in his house, I’m going to make some for him and his pregnant mate as well. So, spaghetti?” 

Dean chuckles. “Sure.” 

Meg nods and starts cooking. Beside where Dean is standing, the omega on the couch whimpers again, tossing and turning. Dean frowns, wishing he was able to comfort him. Its an omega instinct that kicks in when there’s someone in distress around him. He knows it, and it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t know them, it doesn’t change the fact that he wants to help the poor omega. 

Dean lowers himself to the floor and sits in front of the couch with his back up against it. After a moment passes, the omega seems to settle a bit. Perhaps Dean’s nearby scent is helping some. 

It’s when the room begins to smell like spaghetti and meatballs that Samandriel stirs behind him again. There’s a quiet groan and Dean turns around, back now against the coffee table, and sees Samandriel’s eyes fluttering open.

“How’re you feeling?” Dean asks when the omega is more aware of his surroundings. The omega’s head snaps in Dean’s direction and he grimaces, his head probably swimming from the movement. “Careful,” Dean says. “The drug is probably still in your system.” 

Samandriel nods, his eyes closing for a moment before he slowly sits up, Dean helping him when he looks like he’s about to fall over. 

“I’m a little thirsty,” Samandriel says in a quiet voice. Dean grabs the glass of water behind him and hands it over. He gives Dean a meek smile, taking it. “Thank you,” and drinks it slowly. 

“You hungry?” Dean asks. “Meg is making spaghetti.” 

He shakes his head. “No, thank you.” Dean nods, not sure what else to say. Samandriel’s eyes dart up to him before dropping to his lap again. “You’re new.”

“Yeah,” Dean says hesitantly. 

“Your scent is all over. Are you here a lot?” He asks, meeting his eyes.

“Well, I live here, so I’d say I’m here a bit.” Samandriel gives another small smile at Dean’s attempt to lighten the mood. 

“That must mean you’re Pakhan’s omega that everyone’s been talking about.”

“That’d be me.” Dean holds out his arms in a small here-I-am gesture. 

"So that means …" Samandriel stares at him for a moment, his ears twitching before he perks up. "You're the omega that saved me that day." 

Dean arches a brow. "How'd you know?" Is it common knowledge amongst all involved with the Bratva that Dean did that? 

"I was just thinking and piecing together snippets of conversations I've heard while working the streets. People have been saying Pakhan took the omega that beat four alphas as his mate." Samandriel’s smile drops and so do his eyes as he starts playing with his tail. "It makes sense why he'd pick you too. You're brave and strong. Something Pakhan's mate should be." 

Dean can hear a hint of jealousy in his voice and that can mean one thing. Samandriel has feelings for Cas. That thought makes Dean's hackles rise, not wanting him to go after the alpha. He tells himself he doesn't want Samandriel to do that because it will make it so Dean loses Cas' protection, and he's sticking with that reason. Dean takes a breath. Just because he's Dean's 'mate', doesn't mean he actually has feelings for him.

That makes Dean think though. Cas is probably one of the few alphas who have shown any kindness to the omega. And isn't that saying something, considering he's … well … Pakhan. But Dean can understand why Samandriel has a crush on him. Samandriel is also soft spoken and gentle. A proper omega. Someone any alpha would want. Where Dean is all hard edges and abrasive. 

"Do you have a crush on him?" Dean asks before he can stop himself. 

The blush that colors his cheeks is enough of an answer. "Is it that obvious?" He asks, looking like he's expecting Dean to punish him. His ears are flat against his head and he has wide eyes. 

"Not really," Dean shrugs, wanting to sooth his fears. "It was just how you sounded. Kinda jealous." 

"I'm sorry," Samandriel blurts out and ducks his head. 

"Hey, I get it. He's a strong, kind alpha. I'm sure you aren't the only one. You've known him for a while too, I can't expect you to just drop your feelings like that now that I'm his mate."

Samandriel looks at him with those wide eyes again, looking flummoxed. "You're not angry?" 

"Why would I be? People are allowed to have feelings." Dean frowns, wondering if he's not acting like the Pakhan's mate should. But if it means punishing innocent people for something as simple as a crush, Dean doesn't want to act like what's expected of him. "Why’re you looking at me like I've got five heads, man?" 

Samandriel quickly corrects himself and drops his eyes. "Sorry, its just, the last omega of the late Pakhan … she punished those who tried taking him from her."

Dean had a feeling that's what happened. "Well, you're not gonna try taking him, are you?" 

Samandriel looks at him aghast, blood draining from his face. "No! I would never!" 

Dean nods, "Okay, then you have nothing to worry about." 

Samandriel squirms, looking like he has more to say but not wanting to say it.

"What is it?" Dean asks, trying to sound gentle.

"I don’t… I’m not who you have to worry about.” Samandriel meets his eyes hesitantly. “April is who will probably cause you issues.” 

“April?” 

The omega nods. “She’s been in love with Pakhan since they were children. She’s … persistent when she wants something. She’s been trying to get Pakhan to mate her since he took his father’s place.” 

"Where is she now?" Dean was a little worried something like this would happen, but he didn't know it would be so soon. "What does she look like?" 

"She has brown-red hair, kinda shorter, thin. She works at a diner. It's a red building, its called Carol’s Diner." 

Dean hums quietly and glances over to the kitchen. Meg is still cooking the spaghetti, but it should be done soon. Dean looks back at Samandriel. "You sure you're not hungry?"

Samandriel thins his lips before giving a small smile. "I could eat now."

Dean smiles back. "Great, I'll get us some." Dean stands.

"Dean," Samandriel says, stopping him before he can leave. When he meets his eyes, he sees the omega looking at him like he's God's gift to omega kind and it makes his slightly uneasy. "Thank you, you are very kind." 

"Hey, don't worry about it. I know what its like, so I just wanna help." He doesn't stick around for him to reply as he makes his way to the kitchen.

Meg glances at him with a smirk. "Making friends, I see." Dean only hums and Meg smiles. "The omegas are gonna love you." 

Dean isn't so sure about that, but he remains silent as he gets them some plates. He wants to know what Cas is doing talking to the guy they captured and when he'll be back. He wants to ask about April, but he also just might do some … investigating on his own. 

But right now, he has an omega to feed, so that's what he does. 


	14. Done For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses for why this is late ... I got distracted by Fallout 4, so I'm just gonna *hides under a rock and slides out the chapter, whispering* enjoy~
> 
> Chapter Title: Done For You by Black Veil Brides

Cas didn't come back from interrogating that alpha until early in the morning. Dean had been sleeping, but he woke up when he heard noises, which was weird since he went to bed when no one was in the penthouse after Meg had taken Samandriel back to the omega housing complex once he was better. 

Apparently, Cas owns the omega housing so all omegas in his care can live there if they need a place to stay. Dean might go check it out one of these days. 

But right now, Dean is alone in the penthouse. He isn't sure when Cas left, but Dean looked everywhere and hadn't found the alpha. The man never seems to take a break. 

It’s around noon when he hears the elevator ding and the doors open. He looks over from where he is in the living room and sees Castiel. He looks exhausted like he might fall over and second. Dean has a feeling he's used to feeling like that though, being the leader of the mafia. He probably never even has the time to take a break even if he wants to. 

Dean wants to know where he was, but that might be considered rude to ask. Was he interrogating the alpha they have in the basement? He thins his lips, watching the man. His wings are drooped slightly, showing more of the few white spots his wings have, and he runs a hand through his hair.

Russian Mafia leader or not, Dean doesn’t like seeing people wearing themselves out, so he decides to try and help. If Cas will let him. On the off chance he won't, Dean goes about it in a more round-about way. 

"Are you free, like, ever?" Dean asks, drawing Cas' attention to him. He pulls his wings up higher as if he didn't realize Dean was there. 

"I'm available now." 

"No, like," Dean sighs. "What do you do for fun?"

"I don't do much for fun. I work most of my time away." 

Dean frowns. That's what he figured. 

"What?" Cas asks. 

"Nothing, just, I get what we are is a business transaction, but if we're gonna mate, don't you think it would be a good idea to get to know each other a little more? I mean, we know nothing about each other besides surface level shit." 

Cas remains quiet for a while, long enough for Dean to wonder if he said something wrong or overstepped somehow. But just as he's about to speak, Cas beats him to it. 

"You would like to … 'hang out'? He uses actual air quotes when he says hang out, sounding like the words are foreign on his tongue. Which they probably are. He probably heard someone, maybe Gabriel since he seems the type to say something like that, say it before. 

Dean shrugs. "It’s just an idea."

Cas hums, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Okay, what would you like to do?" 

Dean is stunned into silence. Was it really that easy? He was expecting Cas to say something like 'it isn't necessary for us to know one another to be mates.' Or 'it wasn't in the agreement that we actually need to know anything about each other for this to work.' Or even a plain no.

That being said, Dean finds that he's actually pleasantly surprised that Cas is willing to humor him and 'hang out.' 

"Let's go out and eat or something. I don't know … talk?" 

Cas narrows his eyes and says, "Talk," like its the worst possible option. 

"That's usually how people get to know others, Cas. Talking." 

Dean didn't think it was possible, but Cas narrows his eyes further. "I know this." Dean has to fight a smile. "We can go." 

Cas turns back toward the elevator and Dean's eyes widen. "Wait, now?" 

"Yes," Cas says, looking exasperated. "I told you I'm free." He doesn't wait for Dean to respond before he walks into the elevator. Dean scrambles to follow him. Thankfully, Cas doesn’t seem to want him to change into one of his monkey suits. He hates wearing suits. 

"Wait," Dean says when he realizes something. Cas looks at him expectantly. "Shouldn't I have my collar on?" 

Cas' eyes drop to his neck and Dean has to fight off the urge to cover his throat. "Yes, go get it. I will wait here." 

Dean only nods and quickly goes to his room. He grabs the collar sitting on the nightstand and eyes it. It isn't like he wants to wear it, but if he's going out with Cas, he doesn't want to cause a potential scene. Especially if it could have been avoided. He sighs and puts the collar on before looking at himself in the mirror. It’s kinda surreal seeing himself in a collar. Especially one this nice. 

He takes a breath, his fingers brush over the smooth leather before heading back to Cas. When Dean comes into Cas' view, the alpha's eyes are immediately drawn to the collar. His pupils dilate slightly before he reaches a hand up to Dean’s neck. He stiffens and Cas must see it because he hesitates, meeting his eyes.

"I'm going to scent mark you," He says and puts his hovering hand on the back of Dean's neck and pulls him in. His nose brushes along his neck and goosebumps rise on his arms when his breath ghosts over his skin. When the alpha pulls back, Dean’s heart is thudding wildly in his chest. 

"Are you ready?" Cas asks, his voice a little huskier. Dean merely nods, not trusting his voice. Cas nods and pushes the button to take them to the lobby. When the doors open, there’s an alpha he doesn’t recognize by the elevator where Inias usually stands. Dean frowns but follows Cas into the lobby. 

“Where’s Inias?” Dean asks. 

Cas glances at him. “I’ve given him today off to be with his lover.” 

Well, can’t say Cas isn’t thoughtful. 

“Where are we going?” Balthazar’s voice draws Dean’s attention. The beta is standing in front of them now. 

“Dean and I are going out. I will be driving us, take some time to yourself today.” Cas says before walking past a stunned Balthazar. They make their way into the parking garage and Dean is looking around for a black SUV that they’ll probably be taking. There are a few, but Cas keeps walking past them. 

“So, which car are we taking?” 

Cas pulls out a set of keys and unlocks a car. Dean looks around and sees the lights of a sleek black Lamborghini in front of them. The door of the sports car glides up and Dean eyes it in disbelief. 

“ _ This _ is your car?” His eyes roll over its sleek exterior in awe. 

Cas looks almost embarrassed about the car, face scrunching up slightly. “It was Gabriel’s, but he got a new car and he gave this to me. He said I lacked  "finesse” … uhm, grace?” The alpha grumps a little in irritation, seemingly not being able to remember the right word. Dean has to hide his smile, not wanting to offend the man. “No, no, he used … ‘pizazz’.” 

Dean outright laughs at that. “Well, this definitely has pizazz.” Dean gets in the passenger side door and Cas closes the door and gets in, adjusting his wings so they aren’t cramped. This car seems to have some extra room for someone specifically with wings. It must have been custom made.

“If I had my choice I would have something much more … normal.” 

Dean hums and runs a hand along the inside of the door. “I don’t know, I think it suits you.” His brain to mouth filter is failing him because he says the next thing he thinks. “Dark, sexy, and mysterious.” He freezes the moment the words leave his lips and he refuses to look over at Cas. “I mean, good for you if that’s your thing.” When he turns his head to look out the window, his face hidden from the alpha, he cringes.

Amusement filters through the air in the car and Dean wants to crawl in a hole and die. Why did he ask to hang out with Cas?

“Do you have any preferences about where we eat?” Cas asks before Dean can dwell on his embarrassment any longer.

He can use this to his advantage. He was planning on going alone to scope the place out, but taking Cas with him might be even better.

Dean gives him a wide smile. “I have an idea.” 

**✦ ✧ ✦**

As much as Dean was all for this idea, pulling up to Carol’s Diner in Cas’ fancy-ass car makes him a little uncomfortable. It really does draw a lot of attention to them, and with the threat of Cain and Alistair hanging over their heads, it might not have been the smartest idea.

Dean chuckles a little nervously and looks around. There is only one person staring, but if one noticed already, then more are bound to soon. “We probably should have walked.” 

Cas frowns at him, looking aggravatingly, adorably confused. “This was a significant distance, why would you have preferred walking in this weather?” 

Dean looks out the windows. That one person must have told his friends because now they're staring. They must have been loud about it because now a whole bunch of people inside are staring. Dean is thankful for the darkly tinted windows. “Everyone is staring at us.” 

Cas hums and looks into the diner where Dean is looking. “Don’t worry about them.” His words don't help at all, Dean still feels uncomfortable. “I assure you, Dean.” He puts his hand on Dean’s knee which makes him look over at him quickly. Cas offers a gentle smile. “They are looking at the car, not us.” 

That may be true now, but what about when they get out? Everyone is going to want to see the owner of a car like this. They're gonna see him and Cas and think Dean is just his submissive little omega. Or worse, what if someone from Alistair’s gang sees them and does something? Or even Cain. 

Dean hadn’t realized how much safer he’s felt locked up in Cas’ penthouse since he moved in with him until now. Sure, he’s been outside since then, but he hasn’t really gone out like this with Cas aside from getting his collar and suits made. 

Cas squeezes Dean’s knee and gets out. When he’s standing beside his car, he shakes out his wings and comes around to Dean’s door, opening it and holding out a hand for him. Dean wants to laugh at how chivalrous the leader of a mafia group is when every other alpha seems to be a dick, but instead, he just takes it and slides out. 

Cas opens the door, the bell chiming above them, for him and Dean quickly goes in, the alpha following behind him. The diner is filled with chatter and the sound of silverware hitting plates. When the door closes behind them, all noise slowly dwindles. Dean is acutely aware of everyone's eyes on them. It's an unnerving feeling. 

Cas leans in close to him, his mouth close to his ear, and whispers, "Now everyone is staring at us." 

Dean can't help it, he smiles. Cas is probably attempting to make a joke since he knows Dean was uncomfortable with the thought of people staring at them. Strangely, his small joke does wonders for easing Dean's nerves. 

Dean turns his head to Cas, their faces only inches apart. He smirks, his eyes flicking to Cas' lips then meeting his eyes before he mutters a quiet, "Jackass,"

It pulls a dazzling smile from the alpha, and just like that, everything goes back to normal.

Cas then puts a hand on Dean’s lower back and leads him to a booth where they sit. The menus are already on the table so they grab them and look them over before the waitress comes over.

“Oh, Pakhan, it’s great to see you!” A woman says coming up to them. Dean looks over at her, eyes glancing at the nametag. His stomach twists and he tries not to stiffen. This is April. She has red-brown hair that’s pulled into a tight ponytail and fair skin with a wide smile. She's young and pretty. Dean can’t help but wonder why Cas didn't just want to mate her. Is he not attracted to women in general? Or is she crazy? 

He’s guessing it's the latter.

“Hello, April, how have you been?” Cas asks, politely. 

“Oh, so-so, got a lot going on. We’ve all missed you, I hope you’re not working yourself to death. Someone needs to take care of you to make sure you get some food in you every once in a while.” She chuckles like she just told the funniest joke and Dean prickles. She’s acting like she doesn’t even fucking see him. And he simply won’t stand for that.

“Oh, I’ll be sure he’s very well taken care of.” Dean smiles warmly at her when she turns wide eyes on him, like she wasn’t expecting him to actually speak. He already wants to strangle her. 

_ Not in public, sweetie, _ A voice that sounds suspiciously like his mother’s whispers to him. 

“Dean Winchester, his mate,” Dean says and holds out his hand. 

She eyes it for a moment before smiling wanly and taking it. “April. I had … heard that you had taken a mate,” She says to Cas while staring directly at Dean. She drops his hand and wipes it on her apron before looking back at Cas. “Congratulations on finding a mate,” She says, but there’s a stiffness in her voice. “What can I get you to eat?”

They order quickly, a simple bacon cheeseburger for Dean and a ham sub for Cas. When Dean looks back at Cas, he sees the alpha’s eyes haven’t seemed to leave him the entire time. Dean feels his face heat up and he quickly looks away, watching April leave.

“I’m gonna get my food spat in,” Dean mutters, hoping Cas won’t mention him being a jealous omega. 

“Why do you say that?” Cas asks, his eyes squinting.

Dean looks at him and gives his best are-you-kidding-me look. “She’s totally crushing on you and she thinks I just swooped in and stole her man, which I totally did, but that’s irrelevant.” Dean whispers the last part, but he’s pretty sure Cas heard by the smirk on his lips. 

Dean clears his throat, starting up a different conversation. “So, let’s change the subject,” He did what he came here to do. Now he gets to spend the rest of his time talking to Cas. 

Dean finds it surprisingly easy to talk with the alpha. He talks about Baby, his dad’s car, and how he was gonna give it to him before he presented. He doesn’t delve too deep into his father, he doesn’t want to think about him too much, but he talks a lot about Baby and Sam. Again, leaving out the things that are too hard to think about, even to this day. 

Thankfully Cas doesn’t try to pry, and in return, Dean doesn’t return when Cas stops talking about Gabriel and why he didn’t want to be Pakhan. Dean has a feeling it’s something big, but he knows when to stop talking. He especially knows when not to talk about something in public, especially now that he’s with Cas.

When April brings out their food, she sets them down in front of each of them with an overly cheerful, “Enjoy!” 

They both say thank you and Dean goes to start eating, but Cas stops him. “Dean, I think I would actually like to trade meals with you.” 

Dean looks up at him like he’s lost it, but then when he sees the look in his eyes, Dean gets it. He leans back. “Alright, here,” He pushes the plate over and Cas does the same. Just as Cas is about to take a bite of his burger, April gasps. Dean looks over at her and sees the look of horror on her face as she rushes over. 

“Oh! No, that looks like it wasn’t cooked completely, Pakhan, I saw blood. Please, let me take that back to the kitchen for you. I’m so sorry!” April quickly takes the plate and high-tails it away. 

Dean can’t help but let a chuckle out, dropping his chin to his chest and his shoulders start to shake. After a moment, he looks up at Cas and sees the alpha’s eyes are shining with mirth. When he sees that, Dean loses it. He and Cas both start laughing, granted, Cas’ more subdued, but it’s still a laugh. Dean kicks his leg out and brushes it against Cas’. The alpha looks up, still smiling, and Dean tries to show his thanks through his expression. When the alpha presses his leg back against Dean’s in response, he thinks he got it across.

Dean is in one of the best moods he’s been in, in … well … forever.

This may have been a suggestion that he wasn’t super excited about, but it turned out to be one of the best nights of his life. And he regrets nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m pretty excited about posting the next chapter. It’s gonna be a little different than the previous chapters since it’s gonna be in Cas’ POV. I don't usually do multiple POVs in stories, but part of me really wants to write from Cas' perspective so that's what I’m doing. I hope you’ll all like it, and I'll be here bright and early next week!
> 
> A.R.T.s  
> тонкость - finesse


	15. Man Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like this chapter, tell me, and I may just do some more from Cas' POV. That being said, let's see what's going on in that pretty head of his ;) 
> 
> Also, the dialogue in italics is when they’re speaking in Russian. And just as a warning, this chapter is gonna have some torture, just as a warning.
> 
> Chapter Title: Man Down by Rhianna

As much as Castiel enjoyed his time with Dean at the diner, all good things must come to an end. At least, they do in Castiel's experience. He sighs and tucks his wings tight to his back as he walks down the basement hallway to the interrogation room.

“ _Did you have a good time seeing April again?_ ” Balthazar asks from where he’s walking behind him. There’s a hint of amusement in his voice that Castiel doesn’t much enjoy. 

“ _She was as vivacious as always,_ ” Castiel deadpans, rolling up the sleeves of his button-up shirt to his elbows. “ _Tell me, how is Beth?_ ” Castiel casts a glance over his shoulder to see Balthazar grimacing. “ _Or perhaps Annabell? Heather? Sal-_ ”

“ _Okay, I get it, don’t bring up the psycho she-witch,_ ” Balthazar sighs.

“ _I didn’t say that. You will need to talk about April to give me updates._ ”

“ _You want someone to watch her?_ ” Balthazar says, sounding skeptical.

“ _Yes, have Inias keep an eye on her,_ ” Castiel runs a hand through his hair, stopping at the door where their captured alpha sits. “ _I don’t trust her._ ”

Which is reasonable. April used to do anything to be beside Castiel, but the moment she hospitalized an omega — for reasons nobody knows for certain, but Castiel is ninety percent sure she did it because the omega was interested in him — Castiel put an end to that. He moved her to the opposite side of his territory. It’s out of the way of most of his daily interactions. 

He wasn’t surprised, however, when Dean said he wanted to eat there. Castiel can guess that Dean and Samandriel had bonded, and April had been brought up. Everyone knew about her, so it’s not a surprise. What Castiel didn’t understand was _why_ his omega wanted to eat there aside from telling April to stay back. Which further confused Castiel because Dean has made it clear he doesn’t care too much about being Castiel’s mate. Castiel has been trying to get the omega to see he isn’t _all_ bad, and he thinks he’s actually starting to break through if the look he gave him at the diner was anything to go by. 

But once Castiel had seen how Dean handled April, it was rather clear that his first thought was correct. Dean was staking a claim. 

It made his inner alpha perk up, and he had to bite back the instinct to let out a happy purr. Alphas don’t purr around anyone other than their mates, after all. But that’s not the only reason he held back. He was enraptured by seeing the man under Dean’s mask. The man that took down four alphas and survived. It was only a glimpse of defiance, but it caught Castiel’s eye, and he couldn’t look away. 

Castiel holds out his hand for the folder Balthazar is holding, and the beta hands it over. Once he has it, he turns from Balthazar and goes into the room, closing the door behind him and leaving the beta in the hall alone to call Inias. Inias may mainly be monitoring the elevator, but he’s one of Castiel’s best men and an old friend. He’s very good at stealth, and Castiel thinks the alpha will appreciate getting out on a job again.

Once he’s in the room, the scent of stale blood, vomit, and urine permeate the air of the small concrete box. It isn’t a pleasant smell, and Castiel will need a shower before he sees Dean again, but he’s used to unpleasant scents. The alpha’s head is hanging low, shoulders slumped, and his breathing is shallow. The only reason Castiel knows he’s conscious is because the alpha stiffens when he enters the room.

“I see you’re as stubborn as ever,” Castiel says, and the alpha, which he hadn’t even known his name until now, scoffs. Castiel hums, leaning back against the table of torturing tools and opens the manila folder. “Bartholomew.” 

This makes the alpha jerk and look up with widened eyes. Or, as wide as he can get them since they’re swollen. Castiel doesn’t bother looking at him, eyes still scanning the pages.

“I’ve found out some interesting information about you, Bart.” Castiel looks up now, meeting his eyes. “I didn’t want to have to do this, but you’ve left me no choice. So, before this gets hairier than it needs to be, why don’t you tell me why Alistair sent you to harm one of my omegas.” 

“Why are you doing this over one stupid omega?” Bartholomew snarls. 

“I could ask the same thing,” Castiel says, arching a brow. “What does Alistair believe harming one omega is going to do?” Castiel doesn’t appreciate the fact that they hurt one of his omegas, but he can’t afford to seem overly attached to too many people. It’s a liability to him and those who he’s close to. 

“Hell if I know, I just fucking do what he says,” Bartholomew scoffs and sighs. 

“Perhaps I should ask your mate,” Castiel says like he’s talking to himself. “I’ll go to her, of course, since she’s eight months pregnant.” Bartholomew’s eyes are wide with fear and rage as Castiel opens the file to casually scan it again, not that he actually needs to. He has the file memorized. “Which is very impressive. You’ve kept this hidden from your leader for so long. I know Alistair takes every child born into his pack, so I would imagine he would be quite angry to find you’ve been hiding this for so long. It almost looks like,” Castiel closes the file with a snap, “you were planning on betraying him and running away.” 

“Wait,” Bartholomew tries to plead, but it’s weak and mixed with anger. Castiel can hear it, he’s close to breaking, but he can just push him a little more. He would, afterall, like to avoid harming a pregnant woman. 

“In fact, I know that’s exactly what you were planning.” He drums his fingers on the file. “It’s all in here. Would you like to see?” Castiel pulls out some photos of a heavily pregnant blonde woman packing some duffles. There are more of her with a bag of cash. “Tell me why Alistair had you do what you did, and I will make sure she gets out of the country safe.” 

“Why would Alistair give a single fucking shit about a stupid omega?” The alpha spits, ripping at his restraints. 

“Alistair seems to give plenty of shits about another single omega. That is why I’m asking.”

Bartholomew scoffs, shaking his head. “Yeah, because that bitch has been a thorn in his side for-” He doesn’t get to finish that sentence because Castiel cuts him off with a solid punch to his gut. The man wheezes, doubling over as much as his restraints allow him. 

Castiel firmly grabs his dirty blonde hair and yanks him up. “Nobody speaks of my mate that way.” 

“Mate?” The man wheezes again.

Castiel throws the man’s head to the side sighing like he’s being forced to deal with a petulant child. This is like pulling teeth. Arching a brow, Castiel walks to the table and scans the tools, tired of playing games. When he spots the pliers, he picks them up and turns back to the alpha. “You don’t need teeth to speak.” 

The alpha’s eyes widen. “Wha- wait! Okay, listen! Listen!” Castiel doesn’t. He grabs the man’s jaw and opens his mouth. It’s hard since the man is screaming and trying to get away, but Castiel finally gets a firm grip on a molar and rips it out with a bit of struggle. The first tooth is always the hardest. The man wails as blood pours from his mouth.

“I am tired of playing games, I suggest you get to the point quickly.” Castiel throws the pliers and tooth on a metal surgical tray. The clatter loudly, but it doesn’t drown out the man’s whimpers. “Yes, I will kill you either way, but do you want to end this quickly, or do you enjoy pain?”

When he doesn’t answer right away, Castiel snarls, grabbing his hair and yanking it back again. “If you do not answer me now, I will bring your mate here and rip her throat out in front of you.” 

“Wait! Okay!” Castiel drops the man’s head and Bartholomew spits blood on the floor. “She will get out of the country safely if I help you?” 

“You have my word, so long as you tell the truth.” 

Bartholomew hangs his head, like a man heading to the gallows. In this instance, he is. “The omega was a distraction.” Castiel only narrows his eyes, waiting for him to continue. “He wanted to go after one of your more trusted alphas. Had to wait until the right time, when everything aligned. Said you took something that didn’t belong to you so he took something in return. Said he’ll keep it up until he gets what’s his back.”

“Who is he going after?” Castiel snarls, dread filling the pit in his stomach.

“Some alpha. Inias or whatever. I don’t know, he wasn’t my target so I wasn’t debriefed on him.” 

Castiel’s stomach sinks. He spins around, wings flaring and ripping the door open. 

“Wait!” The alpha shouts again. Castiel snarls, snapping a glare at him, but waits anyway. “You said you’d kill me, just do it.” 

“Not until I know what you said is true.” Castiel leaves the room in a flurry, his wings twitching restlessly on his back, itching to spread and just take off. “ _Take me to Inias’, now!_ ” Castiel barks, making Balthazar jerk and scramble to catch up from where he was leaning against the wall. 

“ _Inias wasn’t answering, what happened?_ ” Balthazar asks when he’s caught up.

“ _Just get me there._ ” Castiel isn’t in the mood to explain, he’ll have time to do so later. 

**✦ ✧ ✦**

When they pull up to Inias’ townhouse, it looks peaceful. It looks normal. But normal doesn’t always mean good. He walks up the stairs and looks in the window closest to the stairs. 

The curtains are torn.

Castiel doesn’t wait, he kicks the door in. The wood splinters and Castiel runs in, gun raised. The room is trashed. Scratch that, the entire house is destroyed. 

If the state of the house is anything to go by, he didn’t go easy. Of course he didn’t, he was raised in the Bratva. Castiel knows Inias well, he was one of his closest friends growing up. That has to be the reason Alistair targeted Inias specifically. He had to of found out somehow. 

There’s a problem with that.

Nobody would have known that unless they were around Cas when he was growing up. 

That means one thing. 

There’s a mole. 

Rage boils up inside him. Now he has to find out who.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

He wants to rage. He wants to break something, to get in a fight. He wants to scream. But he doesn’t. Instead, he paces in the cramped space of the elevator, growling under his breath as he waits for it to reach the top floor where his mate is. After an eternity, the doors open and he sees Dean in the kitchen, the aroma of chicken and spices in the air, mixed with his omega’s scent. Dean’s scent is interwoven with his own already, and he’s only been here a short time, but it does wonders for calming him.

When the elevator dings, Dean looks back at Castiel, his brows drawing in a look of concern. “Cas? What happened?” 

Castiel doesn’t think, he goes straight to the omega, needing to touch him, to scent him. When he reaches him, he grabs him and pulls him in, burying his nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling lungfuls of the scent of his pregnant omega. It’s exactly what he needed to calm him the rest of the way.

He never lets himself get this worked up. He doesn’t know what’s gotten into him.

Dean stiffens, and lets out a small noise of surprise, but thankfully he doesn’t try pulling back. Instead, he slowly relaxes and his scent becomes stronger, the way an omega’s scent does to help calm someone down, and he pulls Cas closer. His hands glide up his back and settle close to the base of his wings. Castiel desperately wants to feel those fingers run through his feathers, but right now, this is all he needs. Dean’s ears twitch and tickle the side of his face, and Castiel syncs his breathing with the omega’s. 

He knows he shouldn’t have gotten so worked up, but he hasn’t had to deal with a mole yet. He was angry.

He backs up from Dean’s arms, the omega’s hands dropping back to his sides. Dean is looking at him with concern. “Cas, what’s going on?” 

Cas meets his eyes. He brings a hand up, cupping the side of his face and brushing his thumb over his cheekbone. “There’s a mole, baby lion.”

“Shit,” Dean curses under his breath.

That’s Castiel’s sentiment exactly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A.R.T.s  
> львенок - baby lion


	16. Hopelessly Hopeful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the hover text is by La_Temperanza, just so I give them credit for that
> 
> Last update, school is back in session so my updates will be a lot less frequent, just so you're all aware!
> 
> Chapter Title: Hopelessly Hopeful by Asking Alexandria

After Cas’ … breakdown? It’s been chaos. Dean has been living here for a little while now, and it’s always been rather peaceful. When he moved in, he was expecting some shit out of The Godfather, but it never happened. Instead, Dean had only seen Cas peacefully tending to his plants or reading files. He would leave randomly at all times of the day and have a lot of phone calls, but that was the extent of what Dean’s seen of him working. 

That’s all changed when they found out Inias was kidnapped. 

Cas has been yelling at people in Russian for the past couple days. Dean doesn’t know what to do. He’s been making himself scarce. Everyone is tense. Lucifer, Michael, and Gabriel have all been here multiple times. Gabriel is the only one that Castiel actually seems to talk to. They disappear behind the office doors for a while, and the only thing he can hear is Russian, so eavesdropping wouldn’t do any good.

Today, however, Dean it’s rather quiet. A fidgety beta man came up and is now in Cas’ office. Dean is thinking about leaving the penthouse to get out, feeling suffocated, when he hears a gunshot and a man howling in pain. The scent of blood fills the air and Dean stiffens, head snapping to the office. 

What the fuck just happened?

Dean rushes to the office and opens the door, not caring what was going on on the other side. He probably should be more careful because for all he knows, Cas was the one getting shot and the shooter could be coming for him next. Luckily, this time, it was Cas doing the shooting.

Unluckily for the alpha whimpering, bleeding all over the wooden floor. 

"Now you have a reason to be shitty at your job. Leave before I shoot you again." Cas snarls and the other alpha in the room hastily slings the bleeding alpha’s arm over his shoulders and hoists him up. Dean can tell that the bleeding alpha is doing everything in his power to not cry out in pain, probably not wanting to appear weak.

Which, is stupid. You were just shot, of course it’s gonna hurt.

But Dean also knows it isn’t about that.

Dean moves aside for the alphas to leave and he just watches them stunned. Why would Cas shoot his own men? Dean looks back at Cas when they’re alone and he just stares for a while. Cas is staring out the window, still as a statue. 

“What just happened?” Dean asks quietly, walking into the room slowly. 

“He was incompotent.” 

“So you … shot him?” 

Cas runs a hand through his hair, ruffling his wings and turning toward Dean. “He got one of our own killed because he thought he was better than he was. His head is too big. I needed to bring him back to reality. Nobody gets to live in the clouds in this life. It gets people killed.”

Dean frowns and looks at the pool of blood. Something feels off, like something went down and he just doesn’t know about it. 

Cas sits in his chair and Dean slowly comes around to the ones in front of his desk and sits. Neither of them say anything immediately, but the stench of blood is really getting to Dean and he’s starting to feel sick. He’s blaming it on the hormones. Smells have started bothering him recently, and the one place that has been perfect is here. Cas’ scent mixed with the plants, it’s perfect. But now it’s getting tainted with that blood and the lingering scent of fear from that alpha and it’s twisting his stomach. He puts a hand on his stomach.

Cas’ eyes drop to Dean’s hand and scents the air. He pulls out his phone and dials a number. He says something in Russian over the line, hangs up, and stands. “Come,” he holds out a hand and Dean eyes it. “The scent is bothering you,” his eyes drop to his stomach again before meeting his eyes. 

Dean takes his hand and stands, leaving the room with him. They walk to the living room and a moment later there’s the doorbell ring and the elevator opens. A couple of women in maid uniforms come in and looks around.

"""The office,”” and Dean sits beside Cas. 

“What’s going on?” Dean asks, not wanting to wait.

Cas looks back at him, both of them standing in the middle of the living room awkwardly. Cas sighs and sits. Dean follows suit. 

“Inias was taken.”

Dean blinks a couple times, staring at him. “Like, Inias from the lobby, Inias?” 

“Yes, that Inias.” Cas scowls in the direction of the tv.

“Do you … know where he is, or who took him?”

“No.” 

Dean thins his lips. “Is he..?”

“Dead? Most likely.” Cas stands and starts to pace. “I should have known this would happen,” Cas almost whispers to himself. “I should have been prepared.” 

Dean watches the alpha pace, pause at the window, pace again, pause. It’s kind of bothering Dean. He wants to jump up and stop him, but he stays put. “I can help,” he says instead.

Cas whirls around, eyes blazing. “No, I want you out of danger.” 

Anger boils up in him in seconds. “You do remember how we met, right? I can take care of myself.”

“Yes, and you were also hospitalized and you also got a dose of Red in your system. In case you’ve forgotten, Dean, you’re pregnant.”

Dean bares his fangs, ready to fight. “You think I fucking forgot that? This kit is the only thing I fucking care about.”

“Then why did you ask to help?” Cas growls. 

Dean growls back, standing. “Forget it. Last fucking time I’ll try to be nice.” He turns to the elevator and starts to leave. He grabs his jacket and bike helmet from the closet.

“Where are you going?” Cas asks, right behind him.

“Out,” Dean spits and gets in the elevator, the doors closing behind him. He paces the cramped space until it reaches the garage. Icy wind runs into the elevator doors when they open and Dean heads to his bike. He puts his helmet on, starts up the bike, and heads out. He has to stop at the exit to wait for an opening. While he’s sitting there, he sees someone that looks … familiar. He frowns, staring at the man. 

That’s when he realizes who he reminds him of and he freezes. 

Sam? 

A car horn beeps behind him in the parking garage and he ignores them, trying to get a glimpse of the person that looks like Sam. Are his eyes playing tricks on him? The car honks again and Dean hears the man yelling at him. He ignores him again, but finally pulls out and parks in front of the building, scouring the crowd. 

He flips the shield up on his helmet. There are alot of people, but he doesn’t see Could-Be-Sam. 

He clenches his jaw and slams the shield down on his helmet before revving the engine and peeling out of the spot and going for a ride.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

Dean spent all day riding around on his motorcycle. It’s been a long time since he just … rode. When he got back to the penthouse, he didn’t see Cas anywhere. He frowns and looks around, his tail swishing, and ears twitching. Dean isn’t even sure if he’s here. Probably had Benny or Gadreel following him. He sighs and rubs his face. Grabbing a blanket, he wraps it around himself before heading out on the balcony. He makes his way to the rail and leans on it. Thankfully it isn’t windy, so the winter weather is livable.

If that man really was Sam, that changes everything. 

That means, if Sam lives here, Dean can’t really leave the mafia in order to be with him since they would still be in the same city. Which would make finding Dean very easy for someone with the manpower Cas has. They could always move.

But this would put a massive target on Sam’s back.

Fuck.

He needs to find Sam and talk to him. Man, he’s grown so much. 

Then it fully hits him. That was Sam.

Holy shit. That was Sam.

He hears the sound of the doors sliding open behind him. A second later, Cas comes up beside him. “May I join you?” 

“Sure,” Dean says, not looking back.

There’s the sound of a lighter flicking beside him and Dean looks over. Cas has a cigarette between his fingers and smoke blowing out of his mouth. Dean eyes it, his fingers twitching to take a puff, but he holds back. Just because he quit doesn’t make it easy to be around them. 

The light wind rustles the feathers of Cas’ wings and toustles his dark hair. They stand there in companionable silence for a while until Cas breaks it. 

“You appeared lost in thought.” Cas glances at him from the corner of his eye. “What were you thinking about?”

Should he tell him? Hiding the fact about his pregnancy didn’t last very long, will he find out about Dean having a brother? This is if he doesn’t already know from having someone look into his past. Even if he did tell Cas, though, what would he do? His reaction to Dean’s kit was … surprisingly calm considering the kit is from another alpha.

“I think I saw my brother today,” Dean finds himself mumbling without thinking about it. 

Cas is quiet and the wind shifts, making his cigarette smoke blow towards Dean. Cas backs up and moves to the other side of Dean, taking another pull from his cigarette. “You think?”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him. He was pretty far away, but I think it was him.” Dean frowns, his brows pinching together. 

“You don’t look happy about it.” 

Dean sighs and rubs his face. “I’m just … confused.” Dean licks his lips, shifting on his feet. The city is bustling with people down below them. Sam is out there. “He was in California the last time I knew. He was in school. Stanford.” Dean stares down at his hands. “Wanted to be some hotshot lawyer.” 

Cas hums, but says nothing again, just letting Dean speak. They stay quiet for a while again before Cas says, “Why haven’t you seen him in a long time?”

Dean frowns. He’d like to ask Sam the same thing … but really, Dean is the blame just as much for not trying to find him sooner. But the way Sam left, it made it seem like he wanted nothing to do with him or John. 

_He was just upset,_ Dean thinks. _Something said in the heat of the moment._

Dean remains silent. He’s done enough sharing and caring for one day. Besides, talking about it isn’t going to change it now. 

“Have you found Inias?” Dean asks instead, genuinely hoping for good news. 

“No,” Cas sighs and takes another pull from his cigarette. “I wanted to apologize for lashing out at you today. I should not have done that.” 

Dean rubs his face. He figured they would end up talking about this. “I get it, man. The pressure you’re under and the stress. Not knowing what happened to one of your guys. I get it. I shouldn’t have stuck my nose in where it doesn’t belong.” Especially since Dean is planning on leaving anyway. “So … y’know, I’m sorry too.” 

“No,” Cas says and Dean furrows his brows, looking at him. “You are to be my mate. While you don’t need to be burdened with everything I do, you should be included in my work.”

“Are you saying..?” 

“I would like you to help find Inias.” 

Dean is stunned, but he has enough wits to him to say, “What do you need me to do?”

“We have a suspect who took Inias. He’s an older beta,” Cas grimaces, like what he’s about to say is leaving a sour taste in his mouth. “He has a thing for male omegas. I also know that you can handle your own.” Cas looks over, his wings twitching behind him like they want to reach out to him, and meets his eyes. “I need you to lure him into a trap.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Теперь у тебя есть причина быть дерьмовым на своей работе. Уходи, пока я снова не пристрелил тебя - Now you have a reason to be shitty at your job. Leave before I shoot you again. 
> 
> Офис - The office


	17. Deathwish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with an update! School is definitely taking up a vast majority of my time right now, but I'll try updating monthly. Still can't get the hovertext working so the translation is in the endnotes. Tell me what you think of this chapter and thank you all for reading!
> 
> Chapter Title: Deathwish by Architects

Dean eyes the old beta that’s sitting in the back of the laundromat through the window. He looks skeezy and sweaty and Dean isn’t looking forward to doing this. But Cas asked him, and this is a way to gain Cas’ trust. The beta looks up and they lock eyes for a moment. Dean lets himself linger before dutifully dropping his eyes. He needs to act interested, but still a little shy. 

Perfect, the beta is interested.

Dean walks into the laundromat with a couple blankets Cas gave him to wash. The old beta is watching him. It practically makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. 

Dean keeps his eyes lowered, waiting for the man to take the bait. Not a minute later, the beta gets up from his seat and makes his way over to him. He stops too close for Dean’s comfort, his proximity making his scent clog Dean’s senses. It’s disgusting and it smells all wrong, but he doesn’t move back. 

“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing in here smellin’ up like that?” He says, trying to make it sound alluring, but it only makes Dean want to turn away and run. Instead, Dean leans his hip firmly on the machine and tilts his head slightly to the side to expose his neck a little bit. The man’s eyes immediately drop from Dean’s face to his throat and thickly swallows. 

“Just cleaning up,” Dean says, making his voice demure and gentle. He lets his eyes roam down the beta’s body and he bites his lip looking interested but somewhat nervous. 

The beta smiles an ugly smile. “Pregnancy got you horny, huh?” 

Lowering his eyes bashfully, he keeps his voice low. “I suppose I am.” 

“Why don’t I help you out with that?” He leers closer in Dean’s space. 

“I don’t know, the alpha I’m with won’t be too happy,” Dean mumbles, bringing his tail in front of him and playing with the gold rings on it. They’re heavy, but Cas got them for him to wear to try alluring the beta since the beta is a greedy man. He’ll likely want Dean more if he thinks Dean is rich. Dean doesn’t like the tail rings though. He doesn’t like drawing attention to his tail, then people wanna touch it. 

But Cas assured him it would help get the beta’s attention. Play the part of rich, pampered, touch-starved omega. 

The beta scoffs loudly. “I don’t smell him on you, and I don’t see no bite. You’re practically free game.”

“I-” Dean stops and worries his lip, turning his eyes to the machine washing the blankets Cas gave him. “I don’t know.” 

The beta rolls his eyes. “I’ve got some cash. How about I give it to your alpha for compensation.” 

Dean looks up at him through his lashes, something he knows gets his targets going. “Would I be able to use your shower after? He’ll accept the money, but smelling another man on his property isn’t something he likes too much.” 

The grin the beta gives him is wide and it makes Dean wanna hurl, but he keeps his act up. “Sure thing, omega.” 

A hand is put on his lower back and the beta leads him out of the laundromat. He doesn’t even bother asking if Dean has a coat to keep the chill at bay. He doesn’t, but it’s just shows how little this beta cares about anything other than fucking him. He wants to shake his hand off, but he doesn’t want to piss the beta off. 

They round the building into the side alley and the beta’s hand snakes around his waits. “My car’s just on the other side of the building.”

Dean nods, not saying anything, knowing Cas will be there any second. 

“You, beta.” Cas growls from behind them. His voice makes them both stop in their tracks and quickly snap around, Dean’s stomach flipping. 

The beta’s hand falls from Dean’s back and he quickly steps away, not wanting the alpha to rip into him. “I thought you said he wouldn’t care if I paid you.”

Dean looks at the beta, seeing how angry he looks. That’s reasonable. Dean walks to Cas' side without a word and puts a hand on the small of Dean’s back. Two other alphas come up from the other end of the alley and the beta snaps his head back to see them then back at Cas.

"What's going on here?" The beta demands. Then, a sudden realization washes over his face. "You," he spits in Dean's direction. "You set me up, bitch!"

There's a quiet pop of a gun with a silencer that goes off right beside Dean. It makes Dean flinch and the beta wails loudly. Snapping his head around, Dean sees Cas' arm that’s holding a silenced pistol lowering. The man's shouts turn muffled and Dean sees a pair of alphas gag him and put a burlap sack over his head.

"Take him to the basement, I will be there later. Warm him up for me," Cas commands in Russian to his men before putting his gun away in the holster under his trench coat. Cas looks at him, the hand on his back grounding him. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine,” Dean mutters and lets Cas lead him back to the black SUV where Balthazar is sitting patiently inside. Dean subconsciously leans into the alpha, because, shit, dude’s a furnace. Castiel pulls him closer, a wing coming around his shoulders, like he knows Dean is cold. When they get in the SUV, Cas is sitting with his wing still wrapped around him. 

“You did well today,” Cas says, looking at him. “Thank you for helping.”

“It’s not a problem,” Dean shrugs. “What’re you planning on doing with him now that you got him?”

“I will find Inias,” Cas says and just like that, the conversation is done.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

Cas has been extremely high-strung ever since they found out Inias has been kidnapped. Dean thought that he would relax a little when they got the beta in their grasp, but he doesn’t. Cas has had his men doing everything they can in order to find him, but nothing is working. Dean isn’t sure if they got any information out of the beta he helped catch, but Dean’s hoping it wasn’t for nothing. He would prefer to have stoic, quiet Cas back compared to angry, twitchy-puffed-up-feathers-winged Cas. 

Like, seriously, if Dean has to witness Cas’ feathers fluffing up again, he might not be able to resist going over to him and smoothing them back down.

Maybe he just needs something to help him relax a little, take his mind off the situation. But what can Dean do? Cas has made it clear he doesn’t want Dean in the basement with the beta, which, whatever, he can live with that. But if he could try interrogating the beta, maybe he could end this. 

Thinning his lips, he walks over to the elevator and gets in, pressing the button for the basement. His heart is hammering in his chest, but he tries to keep calm so his pheromones don’t give him away. When the elevator dings, he peeks out and sees a long corridor. It’s empty and has a few turn offs into other hallways he guesses. 

Stepping out, he immediately freezes. It’s faint, but he would remember the scent anywhere. Suddenly, his heart is somersaulting for another reason. He jogs down the corridor and hangs a left. The scent is stronger here. He bolts down the hallway and bursts into the room at the end of the hall without thinking. In this room, he finds Cas standing in front of a, much older, Sam Winchester. His brother is bleeding and bruised, looking worse for wear, but it’s him. 

Cas whips around the second Dean enters and his wings flare. “What are you doing here?”

Dean ignores him, too focused on his long-lost brother. Also stunned by the fact his brother is here, tied to a chair, bloody. “Sam?”

Sam’s eyes are the size of baseballs as he stares back at him. “Dean,” he breathes out, almost as a whisper.

Cas snaps his head back to Sam and snarls, his wings fluffing before demanding, “How do you know him?” Sam turns a glare at the alpha, clenching his jaw, but says nothing. Cas flares his wings more to make himself look bigger and looms over him. “Tell me.”

“He’s my brother,” Dean blurts out, fearing Cas is going to hurt him further. Both sets of eyes are on him now.

“Dean, no,” Sam hisses. 

Dean pays him no attention as he looks at Cas. “What the hell is going on?” 

As if Cas is stuck, he simply says, “Brother?”

“I told you I had a brother,” Dean bares his fangs, a sick feeling twisting his stomach. “Did you hunt him down just to torture him?” 

“You really think I would do something like that?” Cas frowns, looking genuinely offended. Dean hears Sam whisper, “Yes,” but neither look at him. Cas clenches his jaw. “He was caught trying to sneak into this building, so my men put him here for me.”

Dean frowns, glancing at Sam then back to Cas. What the hell is going on? Dean sighs, tail swishing, and he runs a hand through his hair and grabs one of his ears before dropping his hands. “Let me talk to him,” Dean says, not making it a question. He’s not taking no for an answer. He does lighten his demand by adding, “Please,” though. 

Cas stands there, his wings twitching, clearly upset. “No,”

“He’s my brother, Cas, just five minutes.” 

Cas meets his eyes and they stare one another down, waiting for the other to cave, but Dean doesn’t back down. When Cas realizes this, he folds his wings neatly against his back with a small growl in Sam’s direction and leaves. He’ll have to deal with angry Cas later, but right now, there’s something more important to worry about. And isn’t that a weird thought. 

When he turns his attention back on his brother, Sam is staring at him like he has two heads. “What the hell was that? Rutkevich just took an order from you?” 

“I’m just as surprised as you are,” Dean says then sighs. He lets his shoulders drop for a second before retensing. Sam is sitting right in front of him. The brother Dean would have done anything for. The brother that obviously didn’t feel the same and left him with John. Sure, Sam didn't know half the shit John put him though, but he knew John was really hard on him. He didn’t even offer to take Dean with him when he left. He just packed his shit in the middle of the night and fled. 

"Dean," Sam says, his ears half flat much like when they were younger and he's expecting to get scolded. "Not that it isn't good to see you again, but why are you here?"

"I'm asking the questions right now," Dean snips, glaring at him. Sam's ears flatten the rest of the way and he looks absolutely downtrodden. "So is it true? What Cas said about catching you?" 

"Yes." He drops his eyes. 

“You gonna explain why you were trying to break into an apartment complex?” 

Sam looks up at him, his ears perking up a little and he narrows his eyes. “Because I needed to know if you were here.”

Dean frowns. “Me?” 

“The other day, I thought I saw you coming from this building. I got caught up and I was too focused on trying to find you because I didn’t want you to get away or something worse.” 

“So your first instinct is to break into a building to find out if I’m here instead of asking the receptionist?” 

“I knew Rutkevich owned this building and he lives here with the Bratva so I knew I wouldn’t have gotten far.” Sam frowns, eyeing Dean. “Especially when a stranger is asking about the omega their Pakhan is trying to mate.” 

Dean narrows his eyes. Why does he know the name of a Russian mafia leader or the name of the Bratva? That isn’t a normal thing to know. He shoots a glance around and sees a camera in the corner before looking at Sam again. 

He tries to keep his voice low when he says, “You seem to know a lot about Cas and the Bratva.” Dean looks him over, really taking in the extent of his injuries. The injuries seem to be over the top for just breaking into a building. “Is the only reason Cas had you captured because you broke into this building for me?”

Sam is quiet for a while before he sighs. “No.” He glances at the camera, like he’s debating on whether or not he should tell Dean something. “I’ve been moving across the country and learning about big crime organizations so I can stop them. I report the evidence to the police or I destroy it myself.” Sam clenches his jaw and pain flashes across his eyes. "A crime boss killed my mate." 

Dean’s world freezes for a moment. Mate? “What?” is the only thing he manages to say.

"It was a year ago. I was still in California. She didn't do anything wrong, was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They tried kidnapping her for omega slave trading, but she fought back and it ended badly." Sam bares his teeth at the memory. "The police couldn't do anything. It’s hard to keep big fish in prison, so he got let go. That's when I knew the justice system wasn't the answer and I took matters into my own hands." 

Dean's eyes widen. "Did you-" 

"Kill him? Yeah," 

Dean doesn't know what to say. His brother isn’t the man he used to know. Sammy never would have killed someone. Then again, losing a mate can change someone in ways unimaginable. Dean couldn’t imagine losing a mate, especially one you actually loved.

"I couldn't go back to school after that. I tried but I couldn't do it, so I left. I’ve been stopping crime lords and gangs along the way and eventually came here when I heard about there being two mafia groups close together. Stopping crime bosses is hard, but somebody has to do it, and it isn't gonna be the police. That’s why I’m here. Finding you here was an accident, but I’m glad I found you." Sam is looking at him with sad eyes. “But it’s true? You’re working with them?” 

“I’m Cas’ mate.” Dean knows that really isn’t an answer, but it doesn’t matter what he does. Sam is the one who decided to leave him to fend for himself. In this world, omegas can barely do anything without an alpha’s approval, so he has no room to judge him.

Sam’s eyes nearly bug out of his head. “Mate?” He growls, surprise turning into rage. “You’re Castiel fucking Rutkevich’s mate?”

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” Dean hisses, making sure to keep his voice low so the camera won’t pick up on it. “You left and John abandoned me.”

Completely ignoring the jibe about him leaving, he focuses on the other piece of information. “John left you? Why?”

“Doesn’t fucking matter anymore, I’m alive and I did that all by myself.” 

Sam’s ears flatten and his eyes turn sad. “Dean, I didn’t know … I’m sorry. I tried to contact you all those years, but I never got a response. I thought you hated me. I never thought- I didn’t think John would do that. I went to the house a year back, but it was empty. I thought he took you and left so I couldn’t find either of you again.” Sam’s eyes turn pleading. “I tried finding you, you have to believe me. I really tried.” 

Dean watches him, trying to figure out if he’s lying. “Yeah, I do.” He really does. “But that doesn’t change a lot now, I’m Cas’ mate.”

Sam is sitting frozen, like he thought that his explanation would have changed anything. Then he looks like he’s about to explode. “Dean, he’s dangerous!”

“And apparently you are too, Sam! What the hell happened to law school and making a difference in the world?”

“Too many bad people get out of what they do when you let the law take care of it.” Sam scowls.

Dean throws his hands up. “So you take matters into your own hands and kill them?” 

“Only those who deserve it.”

Dean can’t believe what he’s hearing. What happened to his brother? “That doesn’t make it right, Sammy!”

Sam growls, like he’s just as aggravated with Dean as Dean is with him. “You don’t have any room to talk, Dean! You’re mating the leader of the Russian Mafia for Christ’s sake!” 

Dean snarls in Sam’s face but Sam doesn't back down. “You don’t know him.” 

“And you do?” Sam scoffs, dropping his head back and staring at the ceiling. “Do you know your precious  _ Cas _ is in the omega slave trading business?”

Dean freezes … what? 

Sam loses his aggression and looks at him with sad eyes, ears flattening. “You didn’t.”

“He wouldn’t,” Dean says, almost to himself. 

Sam shakes his head, posture slumping. “I traced my mate’s killer. That’s when I found out they had been working with the Rutkevich family. They aren’t good people, Dean, please.” Sam pulls at his restraints. “You can move in with me, I can keep you safe from Rutkevich and his men.” 

Dean’s heart lurches. That’s what he wants, isn’t it? That’s what he was planning on doing from the get-go. But now that he thinks about it, he hasn’t thought about leaving in a while. It may be safer with Cas for him and his kit than the situation he was in previously, but it’s still not the safest. He was planning on leaving Cas and going to find Sam, but that’s when Dean thought Sam was on the other side of the country. Moving in with Sam while he lives here will just bring all of Dean’s problems down on Sam. 

Alistair and his groupies.

Cas and his Bratva.

Cain and his people are even in the mix now.

Even if Dean did go with Sam, Cas now knows Sam is his brother, and if they disappear, Cas will know where to look.

"No," Dean whispers. Sam is staring at him, frozen. Dean looks up at him, taking in the shocked expression on his brother's face, his ears and tail eerily still. "No," Dean repeats, louder.

Sam's ears flatten to his head and his tail remains slack behind him as he gives him the biggest puppy eyes he's seen yet. Sam rips against his restraints as if he wants to grab Dean. "Dean, please, if this is about our past-" 

"Its not," Dean cuts him off. Sam doesn't look like he believes him. 

"Then why?" 

"Because if I do, you'll be in more danger than you are now." 

"I can protect us from the mafia, you don't need to worry-"

"Says the one who's tied to a chair beaten bloody." He sighs and runs a hand down his face when Sam clenches his jaw and drops his eyes.

"It was a lapse in judgment, I was being reckless. I thought they had made you join then and I was trying to find you." Sam looks up, more determined. "If we left together then it wouldn't happen again." 

Dean shakes his head. "It's not just them." Sam freezes again, his pupils narrowed to fine silts. "A gang too. A bad one, big, lots of crazy groupies."

"Who?" 

"You won't know him."

"Who?" Sam repeats more firmly. 

Dean narrows his eyes, looking Sam over. His tail is swishing back and forth and his ears are pressed back against his head. "Alistair, leader of the Vinegar Hill Gang." 

"Jesus," Sam hisses, dropping his head and shoulders before cursing, "Shit," under his breath. 

"Gee, Sammy, the Russian Mafia doesn't scare you, but a low-tier gang leader does?" Dean tries joking, but it falls flat. 

Sam looks at him for a long moment. "Dean, he's serious. At least the Russian Mafia have a moral code now that Castiel took over … or so I thought. Doesn't mean I like the guy, especially now that I know they deal with slave trading." He mutters that last part under his breath. “But Alistair is ruthless. He doesn’t care about morals.”

Dean shakes his head. "I'll talk to Cas." 

"Dean, wait-"

"I'm talking to Cas. I need to know if he's behind the slave trading. If he is… if he is, I'll come with you." 

That gets Sam to shut his mouth, but only for a moment. “How are you going to get him to admit it if he is?” 

Dean looks at the wall before meeting Sam’s eyes. They share a look, like they both know what the other is thinking. He missed this. “I’ll figure it out.”

The thought that Cas is behind something like that doesn't sit right with him. He's been with him a month, and sure, in the long scheme of things, that's a short amount of time, but Dean feels like he knows him at least a little. And omega slave trading? That just doesn't sound like him. Russian Mob leader or not. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Отведите его в подвал, я буду там позже. Согрей его для меня, - Take him to the basement, I will be there later. Warm him up for me,


	18. Bury A Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry for such a long delay, school was kicking my ass! But I’m back now until January and I appreciate you all being so patient with me! Also, I’m sad about the series finale, but it's the reason I have this up now, so I’m going to be immersing myself in writing to try and fill this void...
> 
> A.R.T.s at the end!
> 
> Chapter Title: Bury A Friend by Billie Eilish

Dean leaves Sam's interrogation room with sweaty palms, expecting Cas to be on him like bees to honey. Only thing is, Cas isn't even in the hallway anymore. He frowns and starts toward the elevator. Did he go back up? 

His footsteps echo down the long empty corridors as he walks to the elevator. There are a couple of alphas in the hallways patrolling. They nod at Dean, but otherwise they remain silent. 

The fact that Cas keeps prisoners sobers Dean. It reminds him Cas isn't necessarily as good as he's been starting to believe. Maybe this is why Cas has wanted to keep him out of his work, to keep Dean blind to what he actually does so Dean would become blind. Dean needs to take a step back and look at this objectively. Cas is the leader of one of the most dangerous criminal gangs in America. Who's to say he isn't in the slave-trading business as well?

When Dean steps into the penthouse, he hears Cas’ voice coming from his office, he's speaking Russian though, so he can't understand him. Dean’s heart lodges itself in his throat, but he squares his shoulders and keeps his tail from swishing. He knocks in the frame lightly.

"Come in, Dean." 

There is another alpha standing in front of Cas' desk wearing a black suit. His arms are held behind him and he's standing stiff as a board. Cas waves the alpha off, dismissing him in Russian. When he leaves, closing the door behind him, Dean walks over to the window and looks out. He isn’t sure how he should approach this.

"What did you and Sam talk about?" Cas asks.

“Catching up, I guess. Asking him why the hell he was on your radar, for one.” 

Cas arches a brow and folds his hands over his stomach, his wings held loosely behind him. “And what did he say?” 

Dean looks back at Cas, looking him over. How does he go about asking if Cas is in the omega slave-trading business? He can’t be outright, can he? Cas would just deny it, even if he is part of it. 

“Said something about his mate getting kidnapped and killed. Some people involved with an omega slave-trading business.” Dean keeps his eyes on Cas from the corner of his eye, trying to appear disinterested. The only thing is, Cas doesn’t even twitch. His scent doesn’t fluctuate at all either. 

“So he was dealing with the Cartel?” Is all Cas asks.

Dean sighs, touching a leaf of a pothos plant that is stretching toward the sun. “He didn’t think so.” 

“Dean, please stop ‘beating around the bush.’” 

Dean stares at the alpha. Did he really just use air quotes? “Fine, he thinks you have something to do with it.” 

Cas furrows his brows and narrows his eyes. “It wasn’t me. I knew someone was, but we haven’t discovered who yet. They’re doing a good job hiding it.” 

“You knew about this?” 

“Did you need to know?” 

Dean stares at him for a long moment. “I don’t know, considering I’m an omega and there’s a rat in your mitts, I think it might have been a good piece of information to know.” Dean runs a hand through his hair. “Cas, we talked about this. You said you were going to include me in what’s going on more. Of all things, why didn’t you tell me about this?” 

Cas sighs. “I’m not used to being so open, it hadn’t crossed my mind. I’m sorry.”

Dean frowns, glancing to the side. “If Sam was able to track this all back to NYC from California, you know … you can use him. He can help you.”

Cas stands and walks over to Dean, putting a hand on his arm. “I know he is your brother, Dean, but you cannot let that cloud your judgment. He came here with the intention of killing me.”

“Cloud my judgment? What I said wasn’t clouded, it’s logical. I can talk to him and tell him what he can do to find the one who is really behind his mate’s death. What better motivation does someone need to help someone else with the same end goal?”

“It is different because he has clouded judgment. He’s been focused on killing me for who knows how long. He will not just ‘switch teams’ because you say it isn’t me.” 

“What are you going to do with him if you don’t want his help?” Dean asks and when Cas doesn’t speak, Dean’s stomach drops. No. He just got his brother back, he’s not losing him like this. He steps closer, grabbing Cas’ bicep and holding his gaze. “Just let me talk to him, Cas, please. Let me try to reason with him.”

Cas sighs, his eyes darting from Dean’s lips back to his eyes. He opens his mouth, looking like he’s ready to cave, when Balthazar bursts into the room. Dean and Cas both snap their heads toward the intruder, Cas’ arm raised with a gun held firmly in his grasp. When had he grabbed his gun? Those are some scary reflexes. 

When they see that it’s only Balthazar, Cas lowers his weapon and holsters it. “What is it?” Cas snarls, sounding like he’s ready to tear into Balthazar.

“It's Inias,” Balthazar says.

Cas freezes, pulling away from Dean. “Did you find him?” 

Balthazar grimaces. “Yes.” 

“Stay here,” Cas says to Dean as he steps away, snagging his suit jacket from his chair before striding toward the door, Balthazar leading the way. Dean follows them, no idea what’s going on. Stay here? For what? What’s going on?

“Is this about Inias?” Dean asks, tailing them to the elevator.

“Yes,” Cas says, not elaborating.

“I want to come. You can’t keep sheltering me like a kit.” 

Cas pauses outside the elevator doors, putting his suit jacket on. “That may be, but I will not throw you into the deep end. You will be brought in slowly. You helped us find Inias, that is enough for now.”

“I can do more!” Dean says, his emotions starting to get the better of him. 

Cas doesn’t respond as he walks into the elevator with Balthazar. 

“I’m not a delicate flower, Cas!” Dean knows he isn’t supposed to shout at Cas in front of anyone, but he’s getting pissed. Cas said he would include him, but he’s doing the exact opposite. When the elevator doors start to close, Dean has to fight back a snarl. “Cas!” 

Dean is pissed. Cas is ignoring him, just turning his back on him in the middle of a conversation. He’s probably used to doing whatever the fuck he wants, but Dean Winchester does not just  _ roll over _ . Cas turned away when  _ he _ deemed the conversation to be over. It pisses him off. As the doors are closing, Dean meets Cas’ steady gaze, glaring. Then the doors close, leaving Dean alone in the penthouse. 

Fuck being a proper omega. 

Dean slams his fist on the doors, shouting, “Fuck you, Cas!” 

Dean hates being treated like he’s less than everyone just because he’s an omega. Who fucking cares if Cas thinks he’s protecting Dean by leaving him here. He thought Cas was different. He feels the telltale stinging behind his eyes and he has to hold back frustrated tears. He will not cry. It would only serve to prove he’s the omega everyone all makes him out to be. 

Fuck these hormones. 

He rapidly presses the button for the elevator, waiting for it to come back up. When it shows up, Dean goes in and presses the button for the lobby. He paces the small space while it goes down. It dings and he squeezes out of the doors before they’re barely open. 

There are people all around the lobby staring at him. He sees Benny standing by the receptionist. Benny starts toward him and Dean does the same. 

“What’re you doing down here?” Benny asks, trying to look relaxed but failing. Dean’s sure he can sense the rage pouring out of Dean, it’s probably suffocating everyone here but Dean doesn’t give a shit. 

“Going for a ride.” Dean tries to step to the side, but Benny blocks him. Dean stops and stares into Benny’s ice-blue eyes.

“Sorry, Dean, you can’t leave. Pakhan’s orders.” 

“Oh, is that so?” Dean snarls and gets up in his face. “What’re you gonna do to me if I try anyway? You can’t hurt me.” Dean knows he’s acting like a child, really, he does, but he wants to blow off some steam. He wants to feel the bitter wind rush past him and cool him off. 

Benny looks unamused. “I wouldn’t hurt you, but I have my orders. I just have to get you back home.” 

Dean growls. “You can’t just keep me here. I’m not a piece of property. He doesn’t get to go around and dictate what I can and can’t do.” 

“Brother, let’s just go back up. Don’t cause a scene.”

Dean arches a brow and Benny sighs. As soon as Dean makes a move, Benny makes a move to grab him, like he knew Dean was gonna try running. Dean just back, his reflexes faster than Benny’s. The doorman comes up behind him and tries grabbing him as well. He turns around and clocks him in the face. That’ll leave a black eye.

“Don’t touch me,” Dean growls at the doorman.

While his back is turned, Dean feels Benny come closer and wrap his arms around him. Dean whips his head back and cracks Benny’s nose. He hears the alpha grunt and the scent of blood fills the air, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, he drags Dean to the elevator while he’s struggling and shoves him in. The doorman was there with him to hit the button in time. Dean stumbles and catches himself on the elevator wall before spinning around in time to see the doors close. 

He just wanted to go for a fucking ride!

When the elevator reaches the top, he hits the lobby button again and again, but nothing happens. The doors remain open. They overrode the controls. Dean feels trapped, his chest constricting. He paces, only becoming more irritated. This stress isn’t good for the kit. His eyes lock on a potted plant and he smacks it off the table.

Fuck him.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

Dean is laying in his bed, covers drawn up to his chin, and he stares at the wall in total darkness. That’s when he hears Cas come back, the soft  _ ding _ of the elevator, the quiet footsteps coming up the stairs and in front of Dean’s door, stopping. The silence echoes in his ears before there’s a soft knock on his door and it opens, slipping soft-yellow light inside. 

“Dean?” Cas says, voice quiet. When Dean ignores him, Cas sighs and walks further into the room. This makes Dean give him a warning growl, and Cas stops in his tracks. “Dean, can we talk?” 

“I have nothing to say to you. Go away.”

After another long pause, Cas says, “You may not, but I do.”

“No,” Dean growls again. “Leave.” 

“Dean-”

Dean sits up, fury burning in his veins. “I said,  _ leave _ , Castiel. Seeing I can’t do it myself because you put me under house arrest, the least you could do is respect my wishes.” 

Cas holds his ground, staring at him in the darkness. Thanks to Dean being half cat, he’s able to see in the dark, just like he’s sure Cas is, so he can’t even hide from Cas in the dark. His nerves are frayed right now, and he just wants to be left alone. 

Cas must be able to tell that he won’t get anywhere with Dean right now and that more than likely pisses the mob boss off, because his voice is tense when he says, “As you wish,” and closes the door quietly behind him. 

When the soft  _ snick _ of the door closing rings in his room, it fully hits him. He just shouted at a mob boss. It doesn’t matter if Dean is gonna be Cas’ mate, Cas is still the leader of one of the most dangerous organizations in the world.

Fuck, these pregnancy hormones are gonna get him killed.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

The next morning, Dean wakes up feeling sick. It isn’t morning sickness, it doesn’t feel like he needs to throw up, his stomach just feels twisted from fighting with Cas. His instincts are going haywire, not sure why his alpha is treating him like this. Dean is just glad that he and Cas haven’t mated yet, or else that fight would have made him truly sick. 

Dean sighs, sitting up and swinging his legs off the side of the bed. Once his stomach is settled enough for him to get up, he heads down to the kitchen. The smell of pancakes fills the air. Cas must be awake already. It wouldn’t be a surprise, Dean’s pretty sure Cas wakes up early on a regular basis. Perks of the job. 

When he comes into view of the kitchen, Dean sees Cas leaning against the counter with a mug of coffee in his hand and his phone in the other. 

“I made apple pancakes for breakfast if you’d like some.” Cas doesn’t look up when he says this. Dean wonders if this is his way of apologizing. 

“Look, I get it.” Dean finally breaks after a long silence. It does get Cas’ attention though and he looks up from his phone. “You’re doing what you think is right to protect me and my kit, but that doesn’t mean you get to make these decisions on your own.” Dean clenches his jaw, stomach working itself in knots again. “It’s my life too. I left the life I had before because I had no control, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna be in the same situation now. We’re meant to be partners in this, right? Or am I simply a mate in title?” Dean’s chest constricts, knowing he needs to stand up for himself here, even if his instincts want him to stop. Cas pockets his phone, a frown etched on his face. “That means you don’t get to use your guards to make it so I can’t leave of my own free will.”

“I know,” Cas finally says, “I’m sorry.” Just like that, a giant weight lifts from Dean’s chest and he feels like he can breathe again. “It just felt like the only thing I could do at the time.” 

Dean frowns. “What does that even mea-”

“Inias was killed,” Cas says, cutting him off. 

Dean’s breath catches in his throat and he closes his mouth so it’s not hanging open like a fish. His heart is thudding wildly in his chest. He knew that that was the most likely scenario to happen, but he was hoping it wouldn’t happen. 

“A morning jogger found him dead, gutted, and pinned to a tree in the center of a park in my territory.” Dean clenches his jaw, fist clenching by his leg. “It was a deliberate attack against me and my people, and this is only the beginning.” Cas lets out a long sigh, running his hand through his already disheveled hair. “I have reasons for my actions, Dean. I do not do things simply to be mean.” 

Dean grinds his teeth, and before he can think too much about what he’s about to say, he blurts, “So does Sam.”

Cas freezes, his hand still in his hair. He drops it to his side and they stare at one another for a long time before Cas finally speaks.

“If he were anyone else, he would be dead by now. You do realize this, correct?”

Dean's heart jackhammers against his ribs and his stomach rolls again. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" 

"Yes,"

"Right,” Dean scoffs, “my brother is locked up in the basement as you prisoner and that's supposed to be reassuring." It is, only a little, but he's not gonna let Cas know that. "Can't you just put a guard on him like you did me? So you know he won't do anything?" 

Cas sighs rubbing his face. "I can't simply throw my men around so carelessly. There are other things they need to be doing other than babysitting someone who is trying to destroy my business." 

Dean has to bite his tongue before he bites Cas’ head off. All of a sudden, Dean’s stomach rolls and cramps, making him have to throw up. Shit, he’s getting too worked up. He runs to the bathroom and he hears Cas say something, following him. When he reaches the bathroom, Dean drops to his knees and empties his stomach from the coffee he drank. Cas is beside him the next second, hovering at the door.

“Dean?” Cas’ voice is quiet like he’s actually nervous. 

Dean spits in the toilet and groans. “I’m fine.” He rests his head on his arm that’s laid on the toilet seat. He hears Cas walk in beside him and he feels the warmth of his hand hovering over his back for a second before finally placing it on Dean. Dean closes his eyes and just lets himself be for a moment. 

“Do you want to go lie down?” 

No, he doesn’t. He’s too worked up to lay down. He takes in a deep breath, instantly regretting it since his face is still right beside his throw up, and then he lets it out shakily. Without even meaning to, he finds himself saying, “Just … don’t kill him, Cas. Please.” in a barely-there whisper.

Cas is silent for another moment, rubbing Dean’s back when he whispers back. “I promise.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A.R.T.s  
> Что это? - What is it?  
> Это Иниас, - It's Inias,  
> Вы нашли его? - Did you find him?  
> Да. - Yes.


	19. Eternally Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm posting a few days early because I'm not going to be home to post this, so you get an early chapter! I wanted to write something a little fluffy this time around, and this is what happened. I've been writing a lot recently. I think I needed that horrible ending for supernatural to really kick my ass in gear because this is all I want to do anymore xD anyway, I'm trying to stock up on chapters so I hopefully will have enough to last me through next semester!
> 
> A.R.T.s (Awful Russian Translations) in the end notes! 
> 
> Chapter Title: Eternally Yours by Motionless in White

It’s been a couple of days since his fight with Cas. Ever since then, Cas has been acting like a doting alpha, bringing Dean hot chocolate, wrapping him in a blanket when he’s sitting on the couch, making conversation about what’s been going on, he even took Dean out with him (which he had to wear his collar for, but he doesn’t mind it anymore), it’s … nice. 

Dean is sitting on the couch now while Cas is in his office working, touching the soft leather of his collar while reading a book. He’s been trying to keep himself calm these past few days. He hasn’t been that stressed in a long time and he forgot how much he hates it. Living the comfy life of a trophy omega is getting to him. He hears the door open and the Cas’ footsteps are coming closer. 

“Dean?” Cas says.

Dean hums, not looking up from the book he’s reading. When Cas comes around the couch and sits beside him, Dean frowns and looks up. The look Cas is giving him makes him a little anxious. He looks more serious than he has the past couple days, so he turns to face him a little more and closes his book. 

“What?” Dean asks, unsure if he wants to hear what he has to say.

“I’ve been thinking about what to do with Sam.” 

Dean’s heart lurches and he puts his hand on his stomach in an attempt to stay calm. This might not be something bad. Cas promised he wouldn’t kill him, so even if it’s bad, there’s that to hold onto, right? 

“I’m going to put someone on him, much like Benny and Gadreel for you.” Cas shifts his wings and Dean’s eyes widen. He’s actually doing it? Holy shit … holy shit, he’s doing this for Dean. “But,” Cas continues, making Dean focus again. “If he steps out of line, he will be shot.”

And he’s panicking again.

“You said he wouldn’t be killed, Cas!” Dean sits up straighter, ready to fight.

Cas reaches over and puts a hand on Dean’s arm, giving off a calming scent. “Shot, not killed. Legs, arms, shoulders, non-lethal areas.” Okay, that is something Dean can deal with. It’s still not ideal, but he can deal with it. When he leans back, showing Cas he’s okay again, Cas sighs. “You want to be more involved with my business, so I want you to be the one to tell him. Try to convince him to stop.” 

This is crazy to Dean. He knows Cas is doing this for him, and the fact he’s actually doing what Dean asked is … Dean’s never had something like this happen before. Holy shit, Cas is actually doing this for him. 

Dean nearly pounces on the man to smother him in, what was sure to be, a bruising kiss, but he just holds himself back. Instead, he softly says, “Thank you, Cas.” When Cas nods, Dean continues. “If it’s any consolation, I shouldn’t have blown up on you like I have been recently. These pregnancy hormones are driving me crazy. And, uh, sorry about the plant and hurting your guys.” 

Cas actually chuckles, “Ah, yes, you did take it out on them a little, didn’t you?” Dean cringes but Cas only chuckles more. “Don’t worry, I told them to expect violence.” Dean stares at him, about ready to be offended, but Cas only smiles. “You never were the type to just ‘take it,’ were you?” 

Dean rubs the back of his neck. “Guess you knew what you were getting yourself into with me, huh?” 

“Hmm, a little. You still cease to amaze me.” 

Dean’s cheeks heat up and he glares at Cas when he sees the alpha staring at him with a look that can only be described as fond. 

“Thank you,” Cas says, catching Dean off guard. “For apologizing.”

“Oh, uh, I mean, it’s the right thing to do.”

“I still appreciate it nonetheless. I’ll admit, It was a shock when you did yell at me. I’m not used to people doing that sort of thing, but I’m not angry anymore.” 

Dean cringes again. “But you were.”

“I was. You reminded me of a petulant child, so I walked away in order to think. Believe it or not, I don’t wish to hurt you, physically or emotionally.” 

Dean tries to think of a way to make it up for Cas’ kindness, but the only thing he can think to ask is, “So when we mate, am I supposed to take your last name?”

“Yes.”

“And … what is that, exactly?”

“Rutkevich,” Cas supplies, sounding moderately amused. 

“Right,” Dean nods. “I’m gonna need you to spell that one out for me.”

This gets a full-mouthed smile from the alpha. No teeth, but a smile, and it’s beautiful. It lights up his face and makes his eyes just  _ that _ much bluer. Dean frowns and shifts in his seat, grabbing his tail and running his fingers over the fur. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Cas appear like he’s going to move closer, but he stops himself. 

“What’s wrong?” Cas asks.

“When did you want to?” Dean asks, peering at Cas from under his eyelashes. When he sees his brows furrowed, Dean clears his throat and clarifies, “Mate, I mean.” 

The dawning realization that happens on Cas’ face is almost comical, and Dean would have laughed if he were in any other position. It isn’t that he’s against mating Cas, Cas is probably the best alpha he’s going to find, and that’s saying something considering his profession. He’s just … nervous. Rightfully so. 

“I mean, we don’t have to mate right now, you just found out one of your men was killed,” Dean rushes to clarify.

Cas hums. “I think that’s why we should.” Dean frowns, turning his head to face him completely. “To give you more protection. Alistair is obviously unhappy about you being with me, so he’s retaliating. Waiting any longer could be dangerous. Mating you now will be best so my men don’t get any ideas planted in their heads and think handing you over would be best.”

Dean’s heart skips a beat. “They would do that?”

“Not likely, but in this line of work, it is always better safe than sorry. If they find out Alistair is after you, anyway, which is likely to happen. Alistair will probably have some of his men try converting the Bratva to their side by saying after they hand you over, they’ll back off. Most of my men aren’t so stupid to believe that, but there are weaker men amongst us.”

Dean tries, and fails, to swallow past the lump in his throat. He clears his throat and nods. You have to be careful who you trust here, even if they’re on your side. Dean never thought Alistair would care so much about getting him that he would attack the fucking Russian Mafia. And to think Alistair deliberately picked someone Cas sees every day, someone Cas knew well, is so ballsy. 

“Are you okay with that?” Cas asks.

Dean looks at him, the alpha watching him with an intense stare. One that Dean wonders if he’ll ever get used to it. “Yeah,” he murmurs. “Yeah, it makes sense.” 

Dean didn’t think he would be getting mated today. Though, to be fair, he doesn’t know what to expect when it comes to Cas. 

Cas stands, holding out a hand to Dean, and tucking his wings close to his back. Dean’s heart is hammering in his chest, but he takes Cas’ hand after wiping the sweat on his pant leg. He helps Dean up, the blanket that was around Dean’s shoulders slips off into a heap on the couch. Cas keeps eye contact the whole time, but then he’s leading Dean up the stairs. When they pass Dean’s room, Dean’s stomach is taken over by rampaging butterflies. He didn’t think about going to Cas’ room, or the fact that after this, Cas will probably expect Dean to sleep in his room with him, right?

That wouldn’t be a ridiculous idea. After mating, omegas go through a strong change, and being away from their alpha for too long can cause them to become worry-sick. Even if Dean wanted to, he doesn’t think he’d be able to sleep in his room alone, even with Cas just being a couple of doors down. 

The moment they step inside Cas’ room, the alpha’s scent fills his nose. Sure, it’s in the penthouse as well, but it’s the strongest here. It’s doing wonderful things to help Dean feel more relaxed. It’s calming, and he feels like he’s being wrapped in a safety blanket. Once he’s accustomed to the strong scent, he glances around the room. He’s never been in here before. The room is … dirty. No, dirty isn’t the word, compared to the rest of the immaculate penthouse, maybe, but this is lived in. Homey. There are dirty socks on the ground in front of his bed, the bed isn’t made, there are books on the nightstands with a pair of glasses on top of one pile — which, Cas wears glasses? He’ll put a tac in that for later. Dean likes it here, it’s a stark contrast to the rest of the house. 

Cas leads Dean to the edge of the bed. “You should lay down. Mating is intense for an omega, I don’t want you to collapse once I bite you and hurt yourself or the kit.” 

Dean eyes the bed, trembling slightly, but he sits on the bed. Cas reaches up to Dean’s collar and Dean lifts his chin for him. He watches Cas as he feels as he unlatches the collar and sets it on the nightstand beside him. When Cas turns back to him he reaches for the hem of Dean’s shirt. 

“I’m going to remove your shirt,” Cas says, watching Dean.

Dean’s initial reaction is panic. He has so many scars on his back and some on the rest of his body that he doesn’t want Cas to see, but so long as he keeps his back to him, it’ll be okay. Dean nods and lifts his arms. When his shirt is off and the cool air hits his care skin, he shivers. Slowly, Dean swings his legs up with the rest of him and scoots back until he’s resting against the mound of pillows. He feels exposed lying in Cas’ bed without a shirt. His stomach showing his barely-there bump. He wants to cover himself, but Cas is soon crawling onto the bed and covering Dean himself. Dean has to flatten his hands on the bed, grabbing the blankets, to stop them from shaking. 

He’s not scared, really. It’s more of nervous anticipation. He has no idea what mating will do to his body, what Cas sinking his teeth into his neck will feel like. Cas’ hands gently rest on top of his and Dean looks up at Cas above him with wide eyes. 

Cas takes Dean’s hand, making him let go of the blankets, and pulls it up, kissing it and whispers, “Relax for me, baby lion.” into his knuckles. He then guides Dean’s hand to rest on the back of Cas’ neck. Cas leans in, nuzzling along his jaw, avoiding Dean’s mating gland completely. “Scent me,” Cas commands, but it comes out gentle like he’s asking him to scent him. 

Dean doesn’t need to be told twice. He buries his nose in the crook of Cas’ neck, inhaling the scent of alpha. It soothes something deep in Dean, smoothing over his nerves. Calm, reassurance,  _ safety _ . This once, Dean allows himself to get drunk off the alpha’s scent. 

After a moment, Cas says, “Are you ready?” 

Dean doesn’t hesitate, he nods. Cas noses along Dean’s neck and Dean tilts his head to the side out of instinct to give Cas better access. He feels Cas nip at his neck, his fangs grazing his skin, sending a rush of adrenaline through him. Goosebumps raise all over Dean’s arms, his body humming with what’s about to happen, and his breath is shaky. Cas licks over his mating gland before there’s a sharp pinch and he’s sinking his teeth in his neck. 

Dean gasps, his eyes flying open, and he arches his back, nails digging into Cas’ neck and his other hand reaches up, aiming for his shirt, but grabbing his wing instead. When Dean starts to come down from his high, he realizes Cas is giving off a deep rumble from his chest. He’s purring. He pulls his teeth out carefully and licks the mark thoroughly clean. 

Dean hasn’t released Cas from his death grip yet, and he doesn’t know if he can, or even wants to for that matter. “Fuck,” Dean moans.

Cas gives a quiet chuckle, brushing Dean’s hair back from his face where a thin sheen of sweat made it stick to him. “How are you feeling?” 

Dean slackens his death grip, realizing he’s going to rip his feathers out if he doesn’t let go. He closes his eyes and lets himself sink into the bed. He can only hum in response. 

Cas rests his forehead against Dean’s, his wings wrapping around them like a shield. “You should get some rest.” Dean can hear a smile in his voice. “Meg is going to come up to check on you and the kit in a little while.” 

“Don’t go,” Dean whispers. He doesn’t want to be alone right now. 

Cas doesn’t say anything for a while, making Dean’s heart speed up, but then he kisses Dean’s forehead. “Anything for you,” he whispers. Dean’ obviously doesn’t know what he said, but he assumes from his actions that it means he’ll stay, which Dean is extremely thankful for. 

Cas starts adjusting things around him and then Dean feels him lay down, and he pulls Dean over so he’s laying on his chest. Dean tenses slightly what Cas’ hands rest on his back, but Cas just wraps him in his wings. Dean keeps his eyes screwed shut.

“Sleep, Dean.” Cas says into his hair. He brings a hand up and brushes it through his hair. “You are safe here. I will protect you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> львенок. - baby lion.  
> Все что угодно для тебя, - Anything for you,  
> Здесь ты в безопасности. Я буду защищать тебя. - You are safe here. I will protect you.


	20. Beautiful Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty short chapter, but if I kept everything I wrote in this chapter it would have been too long, sorry! But we get some Meg and Dean interaction in this chapter. I wanna know what you all think of Meg. Thanks for reading and continuing your support, it means a lot!!
> 
> Chapter Title: Beautiful Boy by John Lennon

Dean groans, slowly waking up. He doesn’t want to wake up, it’s warm and comfortable. He shifts a little, trying to bury himself deeper into the bed and go back to sleep, but he frowns. The bed is a little hard. His eyes flutter open and he blinks, trying to get the sleep out of his eyes.

“Good morning,” Cas says, his voice deeper with a heavier accent than normal right next to his ear. Dean jolts and pushes himself up on his elbows, looking down at Cas. Oh, that’s right, he mated with Cas last night.

“Hey,” Dean says, still staring. He glances down and sees somewhere in the middle of the night Cas removed his shirt and put on a pair of pajama bottoms. That’s when Dean realizes he’s in a pair as well, only they’re not Dean’s. Dean feels his cheeks heat up, thinking about Cas replacing his pants with something more comfortable to sleep in.

He backs up, Cas’ wings opening to allow him to leave, but otherwise, Cas doesn’t move, his eyes staying trained on him. Dean clears his throat, keeping his back out of view as he scans the room for his shirt. It’s probably on Cas’ side of the bed. That means he has to maneuver around awkwardly in order to get his shirt so he doesn't have to show his back. Sure, Cas is a mob boss, he more than likely has a lot of scars of his own, but Dean's scars bring up dark memories he doesn't want to relive or bring to the light right now. He doesn't know if Cas will mention them, but he doesn't want to risk it. It's bad enough he felt them last night when he moved Dean to lay on top of him.

"How are you feeling?" Cas asks.

"Uh," Dean thinks it over, taking in what he really feels at the moment. Surprisingly, he feels good. It most likely has something to do with the fact that he is laying in his alpha's bed and surrounded by his scent. "I'm good."

"That's good." Cas sits up. "The bond is sure to change over time, but it seems your body has taken it well."

Dean watches Cas from the corner of his eye. When he gets up, relief floods through Dean and he quickly stands as well. Cas bends over and comes back up with Dean's shirt. When he reaches over to Dean, shirt in hand, Dean mumbles a quiet thanks and slips it on.

"Meg is going to be here in a little while to check up on you and the kit." Cas looks back at him over his shoulder when he stops in front of his walk-in closet. "If you want to move your items in here, you can, or you can keep your room.”

Does Dean want to move his stuff in here? Instantly, in the back of his mind, he screams 'YES,' but he knows that's only because he just mated with the man. He was already planning on staying here for a week at least.

"Don't feel pressured to make a choice now. I would recommend sleeping in here for a little while though. I don't think the bond will let either of us sleep separately at first." 

"Yeah, I was planning on staying here for a little while." Dean shifts and his ears twitch. 

Cas nods and walks into the closet. Dean scans the room, unsure of what to do. Should he leave? Should he stay? He glances down and pinches the pj bottoms. He should probably change out of Cas’ pants, right? But he doesn’t really want to. Wait a minute. Dean twists himself and tries to look at his tail.Cas nods and walks into the closet. Dean scans the room, unsure of what to do. Should he leave? Should he stay? He glances down and pinches the pajama bottoms. He should probably change out of Cas’ pants, right? But he doesn’t really want to. Wait a minute. Dean twists himself and tries to look at his tail. There's a slit cut for it to fit through. Cas cut a hole in his pants so Dean would be able to wear them. Something flutters in his stomach and he frowns at himself. This bond is going to take some getting used to. For now, his emotions are going to be all over the place. 

It was nice of him to do that though...

Dean turns his attention back at the nightstands and looks at the books laying there. He picks up the one on top. It's in Russian, so Dean can't read it. Dean should probably try learning Russian seeing he's mated to a Russian now. That'll be difficult for sure, but it would definitely come in handy. He hears Cas come out of his closet and he looks back. Cas' eyes drop to the book in his hand and smiles before shrugging on his suit jacket. 

"Anna Karenina. It's a good book. I have the English copy in the library if you wanted to read it."

Dean glances back at the thick book before setting it down. "I was actually thinking that I should probably learn Russian." 

Cas raises his brows before another walking toward the door. "That would be nice, but it isn't necessary if it isn't something you're interested in."

Dean frowns, does he not want him to learn it? He didn't seem like he cared for the idea. Dean follows him out of the room. "Do you think I shouldn't?"

Cas stops and looks at him. "No, it's nothing like that. I would gladly help you if you wish to learn, but I wanted you to know that you don't have to." 

"Well, I want to." 

Cas meets his eyes and stares for a while like he's trying to divulge if Dean is being serious. He nods, continuing down the stairs. "Okay."

**✦ ✧ ✦**

An hour passes when Dean hears the elevator ding and a doorbell sounds throughout the penthouse. He glances over from where he’s sitting on the couch and sees Meg walk in.

“Honey, I’m home.” She sings and looks around. She meets Dean’s gaze and smirks. “There’s my favorite patient.” 

“Meg,” Cas says, coming out of his office. “Thank you for coming.” 

“Anything for my Pakhan,” She winks before turning back to the elevator and carting out a large machine and a bag. “Can’t have your new mate having any issues, now can we?” She pulls the machine over to Dean in the living room and starts setting up. “How’re you feeling? Any unusual cramps or other issues?” 

“No, I’m fine.” Dean glances at Cas, who is standing behind the couch with his wings tucked neatly behind him. 

“That’s good. Mating can be stressful for pregnant omegas. Though I have no doubt that our dear Pakhan treated you well.” Dean can feel a blush heat his face and he keeps his face turned away from Cas. “Okay, I’m gonna have you lay down here and lift your shirt.” 

Dean does as instructed, trying not to feel awkward as his stomach is exposed. He’s gotten quite round recently. It’s not that he’s embarrassed about it, but he was raised to think it’s an embarrassment for male omegas to be pregnant. 

Meg puts the cool gel on his stomach then moves the wand around. “There’s your kit,” She says. 

Dean’s heart jumps and he can’t tear his eyes from the screen. This is real, that’s his kit. He flattens his ears to his head, trying not to get emotional. He never thought he’d make it this far. He clears his throat. Dean puts his hand on the side of his stomach, happy he's doing good. Meg prints a sonogram and hands it to Dean. A smile forces its way on his face and Meg gets a towel, wiping him off. Dean stares at the photo of his son and his breath catches in his throat. He sits up, fixing his shirt. This is more than Dean ever imagined he’d have. 

“Are you okay, Dean?” Cas asks, his hand on his shoulder. 

Dean looks back at him and smiles. “Yeah, I’m good.” He turns his attention back to the photo.

“Do you mind if I steal your mate for some book bong time?” Meg asks, plopping herself on the couch beside Dean. 

Dean scrunches his face, looking up at Meg. “Book bong?”

Cas’ eyes light up in amusement. “Not at all, I’ll be in my office.” 

When Cas leaves, Dean looks back at Meg. “Are you gonna tell me what the hell book bonging is?” 

Meg bursts into laughter, catching him off guard. “Book bonging,” she continues laughing. “I never thought about turning it into a verb. Thanks, gorgeous. It’s just something Clarence and I used to do as children. We’d smoke and talk shit. We’re obviously not going to smoke with you being pregnant, but I just wanted to spend some time and talk to you. See how you’re adjusting.”

“I’m fine,” he says without pause, it shocks him because he actually feels good. “Really.” 

She hums, bringing her legs up on the couch and turning to face him, her arm slung over the back. “How about your mating? Hormone changes are normal, attachment too. With you being pregnant before mating I was worried it might make your hormones go crazy.” 

Dean takes a moment to think it over. He definitely feels more attached to Cas now, but that’s normal. Mating makes it so you’re more in-tune with how they’re feeling. That’s probably why Cas just asked if he was okay, he was just feeling a lot at that moment. He thumbs the photo. 

“It’s a lot, sure, but I’m doing a lot better than I thought I would be.”

“You didn’t think you’d be doing good?”

“You tell me,” Dean chuckles. “The leader of the Russian mafia asks you to be his mate and you think it’ll all be flowers and rainbows? There’s been some bad things that happened, yeah, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.” Dean rubs the back of his neck. “I’m probably gonna eat my own words later, but right now it’s … it’s nice. I don’t have to constantly watch my back for Alistair or his goons, and I’m warm, I have food, and Cas is … not what I expected.” 

Meg laughs at that. “Oh, yes, Pakhan is far from traditional, but don’t let that be the only thing you think of when you see him. Know he got to the position he is now because he earned it.”

“Trust me, I don’t know if I could ever forget the power he has. The way the Bratva act when he’s around, it shows he’s earned their respect and trust. I still don’t know everything that goes on, but I know some. I know Alistair killed Inias as a way to get under Cas’ skin, and I know it was because of me, even if Cas isn’t saying it.”

“I’m not going to say you shouldn’t worry about Alistiar, that would get you killed, but know that Castiel won’t let anything happen to you. Especially now that you’re mated.” She stares at him for a moment before speaking again. “Also, don’t be surprised if he imprints on your kit. In fact, it will be a good thing if he does and considers it his own.” 

Dean’s heart stops for a moment, forgetting that she knows it isn’t Cas’ child. Of course she knows, she was the one that examined him at the hospital. He swallows and nods. 

“I know.”

“Try including him more.”

Dean’s brows furrow. “In what?” 

“Your pregnancy.” She tilts her head, and smirks. “From what I saw of you at the hospital, I have a feeling you’re still trying to do this on your own. Include him, trust me, he’ll be thrilled.” 

Dean drops his eyes to the photo. It would be nice to have Cas treat his son like his own. He doesn’t want his kit to grow up feeling excluded and unloved. And part of Dean feels that Cas will make a good father. “I’ll try.” 

“That’s all I ask.”


	21. Come Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting early! Just a side note for all of you. There will not be any Sabriel in this story. I like Gabriel teasing Sam but I personally don't ship them. 
> 
> Also, if I repeat anything, please don't be afraid to tell me, I realized I repeated a part that I had in earlier chapters in the last chapter with Meg telling Dean he's having a boy. I already had that in an early chapter so I took it out of the last chapter. My notes for this story are very jumbled so I might have added the same scenes in multiple places. I'm working on getting my outline cleaned up so I hopefully won't have any slip-ups. I have up to chapter 36 planned out and I'm thinking we're at the halfway point right now, so I think this story will be somewhere around 40ish chapters. 
> 
> That aside, I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Chapter Title: Come Together by Godsmack

“I have a meeting with Alpha Cain Mullen at one of my strip clubs later,” Cas says as a way of announcing himself. Dean looks back at him with wide eyes. Cain? The Cain that got Dean pregnant? That Cain? Cas must see the panic in his eyes because he puts a hand on his arm. “I typically would want you with me, in order to bring you more into this life, but I don’t know Mr. Mullen personally and I would feel much better meeting him myself first.” 

Dean feels like now would be a bad time to remind Cas he’s met Cain, and knows him pretty personally. 

Cas holds out a key, taking Dean from his thoughts. “Release Sam. Tell him what is going to happen. Enjoy your night.”

“Okay,” Dean says, taking the key. “I’ll probably hang out with him for a while. Does he have somewhere to stay?” 

“Yes, his guard is standing watch outside his room. He has the information about where Sam will be living from now on.”

Dean nods, standing there for a moment and staring at the keys. “Thanks again, Cas, this means a lot. And you don’t have to worry, I’ll keep him in line.” 

“I have faith in you.” Cas brushes his fingers over Dean’s neck before pulling back. “I will see you in a few hours.” Cas heads back to his office and Dean takes his leave, heading into the elevator. When the elevator digs and the doors open at the lobby, he sees Benny standing there with a bruised eye and bandaged nose. Dean cringes internally a little. 

“We’re not having a repeat. I got permission like a good little boy today,” Dean snarks walking past the alpha. He hears Benny chuckle behind him.

“I know, I was told to wait for you here. I know who is coming.”

The pair walk to the basement, Benny following behind Dean. As they walk down the corridor. Once they come into view of the room Sam is in, he sees the bodyguard standing there. The bodyguard that Cas assigned to Sam is … tiny. Frowning, Dean keeps walking. He’s leaning against the wall, arms crossed and one up by his face. He can’t smell him, which is weird since no one wears scent blockers here. But there is one person he remembers not having a scent. That’s when it clicks. 

“Gabriel?” Dean asks when he’s closer. 

The short man turns to him and pops a lollipop out of his mouth, greeting him with a wide grin. “Dean-o! Good to see he put a mark on that neck of yours. I was getting worried.” 

Dean reaches up, brushing his fingers over the mark. “Are you supposed to be Sam’s guard?” 

“What do you mean am I supposed to be? I’ll have you know Sammy boy is lucky to have me as his bodyguard.” 

“That’s not what I meant, you’re Cas’ brother, why would he put someone so high-up on him?” 

Gabriel pops the lollipop back in his mouth and hums. “That’s because Sammy is a lot more troublesome than you may believe.” Gabriel takes the lollipop out again and waves it around in the air. “That’s where I come in. We have been trying to stop him for a while now. He really has been throwing a kink in too many of our plans.” 

Dean moves over to the door, his hand resting on the handle, staring at it like he can see his brother on the other side. He tries to imagine Sam being chased by the Russian mafia, what he could have possibly done. There’s so much he doesn’t know about Sam, and that hurts. Dean and Sam used to be extremely close. They were each other’s everything. 

Now, the man on the other side of this door, they might as well be strangers.

He twists his head and smells himself. There’s definitely a scent change, and he doesn’t know how Sam is going to take this. On top of obviously being mated to Cas, the scent of his pregnancy seems to come through stronger. It’s gonna be a shock to Sam’s system, but it has to be done. He twists the handle and steps in. 

Sam is already staring at him with wide eyes. The second the door closes behind him, he blurts, “You’re mated.” And just when Dean didn’t think his eyes could get any wider, he’s proven wrong. “And pregnant.” 

“You already knew I was Cas’ mate.” 

“I didn’t know you already let him bite you.” Sam looks like he’s been forced to eat a lemon and he’s not happy about it. His ears are twitching like he’s trying to stop them from flattening against his head. All of a sudden, Sam’s attitude changes from disgruntled to pissed so fast it nearly gives Dean whiplash. His ears flatten to his head, pupils turning to fine slits, eyes rimming in alpha red, and his tail swishes back and forth rapidly. “If he forced himself on you, Dean, I’ll fucking rip him apart. Just say the word and I’ll get you out of this.”

Dean is stunned, happy, but stunned. Tied to a chair, still looking worse for wear, and threatening Cas on Dean’s behalf is … kinda cute. Dean can’t help but chuckle. It really is kind of sweet, in it’s own way though. It shows Sam still cares about him, that maybe there isn’t as big of a crack between them as he thought. Dean doesn’t blame the kid for running the moment he was able. In fact, Dean wanted him to.

“Put it away, big boy.” Dean laughs, wiping a tear away. “There’s no need for that.” Dean digs the keys from his pocket and dangles them in front of Sam. “I’m here to let you out.”

Sam seems to freeze, he doesn’t even seem to be breathing for a moment. “You got the keys?” 

“There’s a catch,” Dean says, letting the keys fall to his side. 

Sam narrows his eyes, looking confused. A second later, Sam deflates, looking utterly crushed. “You’re on their side.”

“What?” Dean furrows his brows. “What’re you talking about?” 

“You aren’t just getting me out so I can leave, you’re on their side.” 

Rage boils in Dean’s stomach and he has to fight himself not to snap at Sam. He understands how this looks, but for him to just accuse him like he doesn’t actually care about Sam? 

“I think you need to take a step back and look at this from my position, Sam. This,” Dean gestures around, “This is my life now. I never imagined you coming back into my life, and now I’m trying to keep the peace between my two lives.” Dean snarls at him, ears flattening, and tail swishing. “Don’t you dare just assume I’m only playing their side. I had to fight for you to even get this.”

Sam slumps, looking like a stomped kitten. “I’m sorry, Dean, I didn’t … I just don’t know what to think anymore. I find you, but you’re mated and pregnant with an evil bastard. I didn’t mean to assume, I’m sorry, really.” 

Dean sighs, running a hand through his hair and pinching his ear. “Do you wanna hear the terms and conditions?” 

“Please.”

Dean explains the new situation, that Sam will be given a bodyguard and a new place to live. Sam doesn’t look please, but that’s understandable. 

“You can’t step out of line, you’ll be shot on the spot.” Dean doesn’t say that it won’t be lethal, he’ll let Sam have that fear which will hopefully keep him from getting into trouble. Sam remains silent, but nods. Dean swallows, waiting to give him the worst news. Cas didn’t tell him to do this, but Dean wants to help both men. 

“I’ll help find the one who is responsible for your mate’s death if you try to play nice with Cas and not get into trouble.” 

Sam meets his eyes. “And what if Cas had something to do with it? I traced it back here, after all.”

“He didn’t, he’s been looking into who is running a slave-trading business under his nose. You both have the same end goal, find the slave traders.” Dean walks over and starts untying Sam. “You’re gonna have a bodyguard from now on. He’s outside right now.”

Sam sighs, rubbing his wrists and standing up. “Great.” 

“Cas set you up with a place to stay too, we’re gonna head there now.” 

“Alright,” Sam sighs, stretching. “If it’s the only way I’m going to get out of here and still be able to see you then I’ll do it.” Sam rubs his face. “God, one fuck up and I’m in this mess.” 

“We’ll figure it out, Sam.” Dean puts a hand on his brother’s shoulder and squeezes, trying to reassure him, even though Dean doesn’t know how, he’ll get them out of this.

Sam stares at Dean for a second before pulling Dean into a bone-crushing hug. “God, it’s so good to see you, Dean. I can’t get over the fact you’re here.”

Dean hugs him back, squeezing him tight and closing his eyes. It is nice, he never thought he would have this again. His scent has matured, but it’s still the same scent he’s used to. It’s still family. Dean feels Sam scent him and Dean groans. “Dude.”

“Sorry, it’s just … your scent is gonna take some getting used to.” Dean pulls back, reaching up and flicking Sam’s ear. Sam swats at him, missing. “Aw, come on, Dean, I’m not a kid anymore.”

“Let's get you out of here.” Dean smiles. He opens the door and walks out with Sam behind him. “Sam, this is Gabriel, your bodyguard. And that alpha over there is Benny, he’s mine.”

“You have one too?” Sam frowns.

“Cassie’s gotta keep his mate protected,” Gabriel says and smirks at Sam, looking him up and down. “And don’t worry, I’ll keep your fine ass safe too, sweet cheeks.” Gabriel winks and Sam crinkles up his nose before his expression turns confused. He’s probably picking up on that Gabriel doesn’t have a scent. 

“So, where’s his house?” Dean asks.

“This way,” Gabriel sings and leads them down the hall.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

The building is nice, Cas definitely didn’t stinge out on Sam’s place. No doubt he wanted to show Dean that he cares, which he appreciates. Benny stays in the car while Gabriel leads them up the stairs to the townhome. 

“Welcome, to your new crib.” Gabriel gestures, arms going out wide to both sides and his golden wings going with them. No doubt showing off to Sam. It leaves a question in the back of Dean’s mind, but he stores it away for later. 

“My new prison, more like.” Sam walks past Gabriel, stepping inside. Gabriel lets Dean in first before following behind, closing the door. The smaller man trots to the couch and plops down, wings sprawling over the back, and making himself comfortable. 

“Get to know the place, get comfortable, Sammy-boy.” 

“Don’t call me that,” Sam growls, making his way up the stairs. 

Dean watches him, standing beside Gabriel. “Someone’s testy,” Gabriel says, popping a piece of candy in his mouth. 

“I’ll go talk to him.” Dean makes his way upstairs, following Sam’s scent to the room on the left. “So, what do you think?”

“At least it has a better view than a cement box.” Sam turns from the window. Sam lowers his voice, walking closer. “Did Gabriel not have a scent?” 

Dean shrugs. “I can’t tell if he’s wearing blockers or if he doesn’t have one.” Dean elbows Sam. “Get to know him and find out, you’re gonna be spending a lot of time together.” 

Sam scrunches his face again. “Don’t remind me.” 

Dean smiles. “Wanna go relax and watch some movies like old times?” 

“With pizza?”

“With pizza.” Dean smiles and pulls out his phone. He puts in an online order for two large pizzas and an order of chicken wings. They head downstairs and Gabriel is still there on the couch, tv turned on to a shitty spanish soap opera. “We ordered pizza.” 

“Ohh, good, I’m starving.” Gabriel pats his stomach and grins at them. 

**✦ ✧ ✦**

Dean crawls into bed after getting home from a long day at Sam’s new place. They didn’t talk about much because Gabriel was there, mainly small stuff, like his time at Stanford and fun times he had. It was good to hear that Sam had a good time, even if it was only for a little while. Dean now buries his face in the blankets of Cas’ and his bed, inhaling the alpha’s scent. He thought Cas would be back by now, but he must still be talking with Cain. 

The alpha’s scent lingering on the sheets is comforting, and he finds himself starting to doze. He’s vaguely aware of the door opening and a weight on the bed after a moment. Dean lets out a small whine when he smells his alpha, they spent too long apart today, being newly mated. Cas’ weight presses down on him from shoulders to hips, nuzzling into the crook of Dean’s neck. Dean falls submissively still. Dean tries not to whimper but having Cas this close after all day is making his inner omega  _ writhe _ . 

“Did you enjoy your time with your brother?” Cas asks, pulling Dean closer and wrapping him in his arms and wings. 

Dean hums, “Was nice.” 

“Good.” Cas’ breath ghosts over the back of his neck, sending goosebumps over his skin. 

“Did your meeting go well?” Dean asks quietly. 

Cas noses up the length of Dean’s neck and under his jaw. “Yes, the Bratva are going to be working alongside Alpha Mullen’s men from here on out.” 

“Are you gonna be able to work peacefully with the alpha that was one of my clients?”  _ the one that got me pregnant? _ Goes unsaid. 

“I will need to for now.” Dean feels Cas relax against him, and Dean relaxes back into him as well. “But I will deal with that later and fill you in tomorrow.” 

Dean hums in acknowledgment and turns in Cas’ arms, enjoying being held. Dean feels like something will go wrong, but he’s too tired to think of that now. That’s a tomorrow problem.


	22. This Means War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back again! I don't mean to go on long breaks like this, but I want to reassure you all once more that I will do everything in my power to keep this story going! I'm not too fond of this chapter, but maybe it's just me since I've been staring at it for weeks on end. Tell me what you think, and thank you for reading!
> 
> Also, I finally fixed the hovertext. I was just being an idiot xD, so now I've gone back and fixed the previous chapters that had hovertext. 
> 
> Chapter Title: This Means War by Avenged Sevenfold

Dean groans, putting a hand on his stomach and bending over a little when a cramp hits. He frowns, heart jumping. What was that? He sets the peanut butter down on the counter and straightens up, albeit slowly. Are camps normal? When he straightens the rest of the way, he shouts and crumbles over, holding his stomach. 

"Dean?" Cas asks from in his office. He hears the alpha getting up and walking down the hall to him with a fast pace. 

"I'm fine," Dean says, trying to reassure him. "I’m fine," he whispers. He tries to keep the worry out of his scent, but he knows he fails when he hears footsteps coming from Cas’ office. He sees Cas come around the corner and the alpha freezes. When the alpha sees Dean hunched in on himselfimself his wings spread out and his feathers fluff up, eyes focusing on him intensely. 

“Dean? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” He comes up behind him, hovering around him, his hands reaching out but not touching. “Is it the kit?” 

“It’s probably nothing. If I’m lucky it’s just constipation.” Dean tries to smile, but it feels weak. 

Cas stares at him for a long while before straightening up, his wings restless behind him. “I should call Meg.” 

It wouldn’t hurt, but does he really need to bring her all the way here? “It’s nothing, Cas, really.” Dean looks back, but Cas already has his phone to his ear. Dean sighs and walks over to a chair in the dining room and sits down, Cas right behind him. Dean leans back, closing his eyes, in an attempt to stop the cramp. He hears Cas’ phone stop ringing, so he opens his eyes and glances at the alpha. He’s frowning at his phone. 

Something heavy sits in Dean’s stomach, and it isn’t from the cramp. “She didn’t answer?” Dean asks.

“No.”

A minute later, Cas’ phone begins to ring. The alpha answers it with a gruff, “Yes?” 

Cas straightens up and seems to transform before Dean's eyes. The contrast between this man and Cas is immediate and daunting. This man isn't Cas, it's Castiel, and he demands respect. And holy hell if he isn't gonna get it. The alpha’s eyes dart to Dean, worry in his eyes for a moment but it’s done in a flash. 

He clenches his jaw, looking away, and demands, “What happened?”

Dean can hear a masculine voice on the other end, maybe Balthazar. It’s muffled, but thankfully for his hearing, he thinks he can make most of it out.

“She was attacked … Alistair’s men … branded her … in the hospital now.”

“I’m on my way,” Castiel says, hanging up and turning to Dean. “We are going to the hospital. Are you okay to stand?” 

Dean nods, pushing himself up. Cas reaches out, grabbing his elbow gently. Was Balthazar talking about Meg? Who was attacked? Nervousness twists his stomach uncomfortably. What happened?

Cas loops Dean’s arm around his for support and walks them to the elevator. When they reach the lobby, Cas says, “Benny, take us to the hospital.” 

Benny stands up from where he was sitting, he’s looking at Dean with concern, but he nods and they leave. At the hospital, Balthazar is standing outside waiting for them. Cas is the first out, not waiting for Benny or Balthazar to let them out, and he turns to Dean, holding out his hand. 

“Get a wheelchair,” Cas says over his shoulder at Balthazar. The beta disappears through the sliding doors.

“I don’t need a wheelchair,” Dean grouses, but cringes when he tries to stand upright. Cas only raises a brow at him, and Dean rolls his eyes, looking away. So maybe a wheelchair wouldn’t hurt.

Cas looks back in the car at Benny, saying “Park and then come guard his room,” before closing the door. 

Balthazar returns a moment later with a nurse pushing a wheelchair. The nurse hurries over to Dean’s side and he gingerly sits down. The nurse wheels him in.

“He is having cramps?” She asks Cas. It irritates Dean that she isn’t asking him, but he knows this is protocol. 

“Yes, it started about an hour ago.” 

“Okay, I’ll get him set up in a room.”

“I also need to know about Meg Masters. What room is she in?”

“Oh, Dr. Masters is in room 209. Her doctor is in there now, he will be able to tell you what happened. I will be taking your mate to room 322.”

Dean thins his lips, not wanting to be alone. The look in Cas’ eyes shows that he looks like he’s torn, wanting to go check on Meg, but his instincts are probably telling him he should stay with Dean to make sure he’s okay. A sour pang stirs in his chest. He knows he shouldn’t be upset that Cas would rather go see Meg. She was hurt, much worse than Dean. But Dean’s instincts are screaming at him to keep his alpha close to him. He likes Meg though. She’s only been nice to him.

He fights against his instincts when he says, “Go check on her, Cas, I’m fine.” He tries to hide a wince when another cramp hits him. Cas’ wings fluff up and he clenches his jaw. The alpha breathes in deeply through his nose. “Really,” Dean says. 

Cas hesitates for another minute before cupping the side of Dean’s face, leaning down and scent marking his neck. Dean’s cheeks feel like they catch on fire, he really doesn’t think he’ll get used to that. When Cas leans back, he locks their eyes. “I will be back in a few minutes.” 

Dean smiles, nodding. Satisfied with his answer, Cas turns, wings flaring and then tucking in tight to his back, and strides down the hall. Dean is rolled to a room and a nurse helps him into a gown. He would have rather have done it himself, but the nurse insists. Balthazar is with him and once he’s in the bed, he sees Benny standing outside his room. The nurse grabs a chain behind the bed and Dean stiffens, a low growl rumbling in his chest, about to throw himself from the bed.

“Whoa, whoa, it’s okay, I’m just moving it. You don’t need it on, you have an alpha,” The nurse says. 

Dean watches her, ready to pounce. He will not have that thing on him again. He has Cas’ collar on, he has a mate bite, he doesn’t need to be chained. The nurse drops the chain behind the wall, raising her hands. Balthazar is standing stiff, watching them with focused eyes. 

“See? You don’t need it. I just need to take some blood samples, okay?” 

Dean eyes the dangling chain on the wall again before leaning back and nodding. She then takes his blood pressure and checks his vitals. After she’s done, Dean is left alone in the room with Balthazar, told that the doctor will come talk to him in a minute. 

Dean twirls his phone in his hand, staring off into space, when it starts to ring. Growing, he looks at the screen. Sam.

“Sam?” He answers. 

“Dean, I heard you were in the hospital. What happened? Are you okay?” Sam sounds worried. Dean can imagine his pacing around the condo and running his hands through his freakishly-long hair. “I’m on my way,” Sam says without letting Dean answer.

“Whoa, hold up there. I’m fine, Sam. You don’t have to come here.”

There’s a long pause, the dead air feeling a little awkward between them. “I should still come down.” 

“I’m fine, really. Just stay home and chill.”

“That’s all I’ve been doing, Dean.  _ Chilling _ .” The amount of disdain his brother puts in that word makes Dean feel bad. He should start helping him find his mate’s killer. 

“Haven’t you been trying to find out who your mate’s killer is?” 

“Yeah, but I can only do so much in lockdown.” 

Dean thins his lips. “I’ll get you out soon. We can go do something.” As he says this, the doctor walks in. “Get a lead, and we’ll go. I promise,” Dean says before hanging up, anxious to find out what’s wrong. 

“Mr. Rutkevich, it’s an honor to meet you. I only wish it were under better circumstances.” The doctor smiles warmly at him, his Russian accent thick. “I am Dr. Johnson.”

Dean nods at him. 

“Well, let’s see what’s going on, yes?” The doctor comes around to the side of his bed, pulling gloves on. From the corner of his eye, he sees Balthazar leave the room to stand with Benny, and Dean is thankful. The doctor has Dean lift his robe and he keeps the sheet on his lower half. He puts the gel on his stomach and runs the wand through it. He pauses on one section of his stomach and stares at the monitor intently. 

“What? What is it?”

“It is nothing. Everything appears okay with the ultrasound.” He looks back at Dean’s paperwork. “You have a higher blood pressure than normal. It isn’t too worrisome right now, but it is something we will want to keep an eye on. You should try and refrain from a lot of stress as well as heavy lifting. Bed rest is recommended, I am going to give you a shot, and it should help.” 

Dean’s heart is hammering in his chest. Something is actually wrong. Does this mean he’s high risk now? He watches with wide eyes as the doctor gets the needle ready. Dean has to look away, feeling faint. He never liked needles. 

“Right,” Dean mutters, staring at his hands. He tries to keep even breathing, but he’s kind of freaking out. It isn’t that bad now, but what if it gets worse? What did he do for this to happen? Dean glances at the liquid in the needle and thins his lips. It’s red. What kind of medicine is red? 

The needle pierces his skin and Dean twitches, cringing and looking away. “What is that?” 

“It is something to help stabilize your blood pressure.” Dean looks back once the needle is out and the doctor puts a bandaid on his arm. Dr. Johnson smiles at him. “It should come into effect in about an hour or so. It’s slow acting, but it will make the world of a difference. I must go now though, if you need anything else, feel free to get me. You are free to leave when you want.” 

Dean nods, slowly, and Dr. Johnson leaves. Dean’s hands are shaking, and he doesn’t know what to do. A minute later, Dean can smell Cas’ scent enter the room. He looks up with wide eyes. Cas looks like he sprinted here, his hair even more dishealved than usual and his feathers are fluffed up and his wings are flared, showing some of the white and dark brown spots on the underneath. 

“Are you alright?” Cas asks, his eyes raking over Dean’s body. “I could sense your distress,” Cas meets his eyes. “What’s wrong?” Cas walks over to Dean, his wings twitching behind him before he flattens them. He gently brushes his hand through Dean’s hair. Dean leans into the touch, needing any help to calm down that he can. He needs to avoid stress after all. 

“Apparently I have high blood pressure, the doctor gave me something for it.” 

“You are alright otherwise?” Cas asks, looking over his shoulder to the hall where nurses and doctors are bustling about. 

“Yeah, I think so.” Dean puts a hand on his stomach and pulls the sheet down, throwing his legs over the edge. Cas takes Dean’s clothes from the chair and sets them on the bed beside him. 

“Do you need help?” 

“Getting dressed?” Dean asks, smirking and arching a brow at the alpha.

Cas opens his mouth before closing it and nodding. He turns around, closing the door. He doesn’t leave, but he keeps his back to Dean. “To keep up appearance,” Cas clarifies, as if he’s reading Dean’s mind.

Dean slides the gown off and carefully gets dressed.

**✦ ✧ ✦**

Dean is laying on Cas’ bed. He just went there automatically after getting home, needing to be around the alpha’s scent. Cas left to take care of some business, more than likely going after a lead that has to do with Meg’s attack. 

He was hoping Cas would stay for the rest of the night. He could really use some company right now, but he knew coming into this ‘relationship’ that Cas was going to be … distant. He has bigger priorities. Apparently dealing with Meg’s situation is more important than comforting his pregnant mate that just had an issue with said pregnancy earlier. 

Dean puts his hand on his stomach. Did he mess this up? Did he mate Cas too soon? He was supposed to mate him though, that was the deal. He knows Cas has more important things to be doing, running a large criminal organization, for one, is more important than a needy omega. Cas appears like he’s trying to be there for him, but … what if it’s an act? He has to live with Dean after all. 

He thins his lips. Where are these emotions coming from? It has to be the hormones, right? The fact that he might be having pregnancy issues?

He’s worried about Meg, but a dark part of his mind is angry at her. He knows … he knows it’s not right, it isn’t her fault, but she took Cas’ attention away when he could have used it. Cas seemed more concerned about what happened to her than him. 

_ He cares more about her. _ The dark part of his mind suggests. 

Dean clenches his hand, nails digging into his palm. He isn’t usually the jealous type, but after mating Cas, he feels more … possessive. 

And he feels sick for it.

He hates himself for blaming Meg. 

Dean rubs his face, closing his eyes when a wave of dizziness washes over him. He furrows his brows, a headache forming. He starts to feel nauseous as well. What the fuck is going on? Dean groans, slowly sitting up, which is a mistake. His stomach rolls and he fights back the urge to hurl. He runs his hands over his slightly rounded stomach. This feeling … it’s familiar, just more intense. 

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck,  _ fuck _ .

That doctor … that shot wasn’t for high blood pressure. He probably doesn’t even have high blood pressure. He injected him with Red. 

Dean’s hands are shaking. He looks at his phone on the nightstand and reaches for it. The trembling intensifies and he knocks it to the floor. Bending over to grab it, he topples over. The world is spinning and his stomach lurches. Swiping the phone off the ground, he scrambles up and rushes to the bathroom as fast he could. He runs into something, knocking whatever is on top of it to the ground and he hears it shatter. The second he reaches the bathroom, he throws up in the toilet. 

With still trembling hands, he opens Cas’ contact and presses call, praying he’ll answer.

It rings,

And rings…

And rings… 

“Dean?” Cas’ familiar baritone rings through the line, sending relief flooding through him.

“You gotta come back,” Dean wheezes, feeling another wave overtaking him. “That doctor-” Dean throws up again and he hears Cas’ panic grow when he says his name again. “He gave me Red.” 

Cas growls, and Dean hears a gunshot before he says, “I’m on my way. I will call you an ambulance. Hold on, baby lion.” 

Dean hears the line go dead and he groans, another wave making him throw up yet again. He vaguely wonders how his stomach has anything else in it for him to throw up. He clenches the porcelain, closing his eyes, and trying to cool his burning skin on the back of his cool hand as he waits. 

**✦ ✧ ✦**

Dean would really like to stop waking up to the sound of a heart monitor beeping. He clenches his jaw and thickly swallows. He cracks his eyes open, glancing around the dimly lit room. It looks different, more like a hotel room. He’s in a bedroom that has a door that’s left ajar, light trickles in from the other room. Dean thinks it may be a living room of sorts. Perhaps this a private room, one meant for people who have to stay here for long periods of time. Or maybe it’s Cas’ private room. Maybe he owns this hospital too.

Dean glances to the side and sees an IV in his arm. Dean sighs and closes his eyes again, feeling extremely exhausted. In the other room, Dean can hear Cas talking.

“You will find me that doctor and nurse. Now,"” Cas snarls. There is a sound of people leaving. 

A second later, Dean senses Cas come into the bedroom and stand by Dean’s side. Dean is just barely staying awake when he feels gentle fingers brush over his cheek. He hums and leans into Cas’ touch, a quiet purr rumbles in his chest. He doesn’t even try to stop it. There’s a low, satisfied purr in response coming from above him, which only makes Dean’s sleep-addled brain purr louder.

His instincts are finally dying down now that he has his alpha here by his side.

The bed dips on the side and Dean feels Cas get under the covers. When he’s settled, he wraps his arms around Dean and pulls him into his chest, his wing coming up to cover them. He’s careful not to pull at the IV in Dean’s arm. “You are very responsive when you allow yourself to be,” Cas whispers into his hair. “I wish you wouldn’t hold back around me.”

Dean yawns and tries to scoot in closer to Cas. “What happened?” He asks, nuzzling into Cas’ neck, still feeling a little out of it. 

“We can talk about it in the morning. Go back to sleep, baby lion.”

Dean remains quiet for a while, but the gears keep churning in his mind. Dean starts talking without thinking, “Do you hate me?” Cas stiffens beneath him. Dean’s heart starts to speed up and the monitor shows it. 

“What makes you think that, Dean?” 

Dean clenches his eyes shut harder. “I don’t know,” 

“Dean,” Cas says, voice low. He sounds like he wants to say something else, but the alpha relaxes and he feels Cas kiss the top of his head. “I could never hate you, my love. You’re tired, you have been through much today. Rest, we will talk more about this tomorrow.”

Dean tries to relax, but, no matter how tired he is, his mind won’t let him sleep. He feels Cas’ fingers brush through the hairs at the base of his neck and a soothing purr rumbles in Cas’ chest. Dean melts into his touch, his body relaxing. And, for the first time since he was a child, he purrs himself to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not putting this here for any reason ... no reason at all ... I just want to leave this here to remind you all that this is still a darker story with a lot of hurt, don't let me fool you because it looks fluffy.
> 
> A.R.T.s  
> Я хочу, чтобы ты не держалась рядом со мной. - I wish you wouldn't hold back against me.  
> львёнок - baby lion.  
> Вы найдете мне этого доктора и сиделку. Сейчас. - You will find me that doctor and nurse. Now,  
> моя любовь. - my love.


	23. In The Air Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post this a few days early. So, surprise! 
> 
> I wanted to take this chapter to give us all a little something we've all been waiting for ;) The boys talk, and progress is made in regards to Alistair. But I think a little romance between our two favorite boys was in order, finally letting them get their heads out of their asses. And a little fluffiness at the end, I hope you like it!
> 
> Also ... Sammy!
> 
> Chapter Title: In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins

Dean feels himself rouse awake feeling warm, content, safe. He doesn’t want to get up. After everything that’s happened just yesterday, this is nice. He smells his alpha’s scent on the other side of the bed, so Dean rolls over and buries his face in the pillows, nuzzling his face into the fabric. 

Dean freezes, realizing he was just rubbing himself into Cas’ scent. He thins his lips, not sitting up yet. It’s a natural reaction, Cas is his mate. He’s been letting his newly mated instincts take over. Deep down, he knows it isn't just the mating. He sighs, rolling onto his back. Maybe he should reel them back. 

_Or you could let it happen, stop fighting it,_ a voice that sounds like his mother’s says. _What are you fighting for?_

 _Freedom_ , Dean thinks. 

_Who says freedom means you have to be alone?_

Dean stares up at the ceiling.

_You don’t have to do it alone._

Dean sighs, thinking about Cas. How kind he’s been, even though he was born in a world where he was raised to be evil. Yes, he’s killed, but he didn’t do it because he enjoyed it. How Cas has a penthouse fill of plants that he cares for. 

Dean cracks a smile. A hardened criminal, a plant dad. 

_Oh_ , Dean thinks as he feels the warmth that swells in his chest at the thought. _I love him._

He doesn’t know where or when it happened, but it did. The jealousy wasn’t from the mating, it was from himself. 

He thinks back on last night, remembering how he asked Cas if he hated him. Dean groans, his face heating up. He buries his face in Cas’ scent once more before rubbing the sleep from his eyes. There is light streaming in through the large windows. Now that he pulled his face from Cas’ scent, he smells coffee and bacon. He stiffly sits up with another groan. 

Like he knew Dean was awake, Cas comes through the door with a tray of food. When he meets Dean’s eyes and sees him sitting up in the bed, he looks relieved. 

“How are you feeling?” Cas asks, his accent is thicker than usual. Cas is more affected by this than he’s giving on. Dean has noticed his accent thickens when he’s upset or angry, similar to his wings twitching or shifting minutely. Cas’ eyes roam to Dean’s hair and the corner of his mouth quirks up, lightening the mood ever so slightly.

Self-consciously, Dean tries flattening his hair, which only makes Cas smile more, and Dean flattens his ears to his head. “Uh, fine right now.”

“Good. Are you hungry?” 

As if on queue, Dean’s stomach growls. “I could eat.” Cas smiles and takes the tray of food and walks over to the bed, gently placing it on Dean’s lap. “Is Meg okay?” Dean asks, moving his IV so it wouldn’t catch.

Cas’ smile dips a little and a slew of emotions fly past his eyes. “She will be okay, (baby lion). She is strong.”

“Did, uh, did you find who did it?” Dean says, as he picks up a piece of bacon and starts nibbling on it as a distraction. 

“We know who, but now we need to get him.” Cas spreads his wings a little in order to sit on the other side of the bed next to Dean. “We found the second alpha that was there, but we still need the one who went through with their mission.”

“Mission?” Dean frowns, turning his head to the alpha. “So it was a premeditated attack?” 

“Yes, they are working for Alistiar.”

Dean thins his lips, nodding, relieved that Meg is going to be okay, but also feeling guilty. Guilty that he thought so poorly of her last night, and guilty because this is happening because of him. “Is that what you did last night?” 

Cas eyes him for a moment. “Yes. I also went to speak with Alpha Cain Mullen. We agreed to send someone to join Alistair’s gang in order for us to get inside information.”

Dean takes a deep breath, inhaling the Alpha’s calm scent. He doesn’t have to ask if he killed him to know the answer is yes. Dean drops his eyes to his breakfast and picks at it. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Cas watching him, his wings shifting. He wants to talk about something, Dean can tell. 

They should talk, too, but the thought makes him feel uncomfortable. He doesn’t want to talk about what he said last night, because he can’t answer what Cas probably wants to know. He doesn’t know what possessed him to ask if Cas hated him. He can only assume it was between the stress, jealousy, and being drugged, that his brain thought it was a good idea to say that.

“I would like to talk about what happened yesterday,” Cas says.

There it is.

His words sink in his stomach like a stone, and he tries to swallow. “What do you want to talk about?” 

“I want to apologize.” 

Dean blinks a few times, then turns his head to the alpha. “What?”

“I should have stayed with you. I could have spoken to Meg later, or sent someone else to get the information of what happened.” Cas sighs, leaning back against the wall. “I thought I would be able to finish quickly, get a headstart, but while I was too focused on my job, I neglected to make sure you were safe.” 

Dean didn’t know what to expect, but it sure as hell wasn’t this. “Cas, that’s not…” He trails off, unsure of what to say. His instincts are screaming at him to comfort his mate, pull him close and soothe the frustration that is pouring off the alpha in waves.

“I know that I have a responsibility to the Bratva, but I need to learn how to balance my personal life with work, and I have been lacking when you needed me. I am sure now is not the first time, either. I have a … difficult time handing over responsibilities when it comes to dealing with those I care about. I need to get better at learning that I cannot do everything.” Cas reaches over to brush through Dean’s hair before coming down to cup the side of his face. “I want you to tell me if I am neglecting you, Dean. Believe me when I say I never mean to hurt you. The only way for me to learn from my mistakes is to confront me.” Cas clenches his jaw and looks angry, but Dean can tell it isn’t being directed at him. His mate is angry at himself. “My mistake last night, it made me realize I could have caused you to lose the kit. I never would have forgiven myself if that had happened.”

Dean reaches up, putting his hand over Cas’ on his cheek, and closes his eyes, leaning into the touch. His heart is hammering in his chest. Cas is giving off a scent that Dean hasn’t smelled coming from him before. Sadness. 

“I’m alright, Cas.” 

“Promise me you’ll tell me if I do something wrong,” Cas says, voice sounding desperate. 

Dean hates that sound coming from him, especially accompanied by that scent. His instincts are going crazy, telling him to do something. Help his alpha, comfort him. Dean’s heart is beating rapidly in his chest, and he wonders if Cas is able to feel it. Steadying his breath, he says, “I will, Alpha, promise.”

Cas takes a sharp breath, his pupils dilating. He growls quietly, sliding his hand to the back of Dean’s neck and squeezing. He then drops his hand to Dean’s arm. “Why did you ask if I hated you?” 

Ah… there’s the dreaded question.

Dean drops his eyes and turns his head. “I don’t know, it just came out…” He takes a slow breath, feeling the alpha’s eyes boring into him, but Cas doesn’t say anything yet. He’s waiting, letting Dean complete his thought. “I think I was overwhelmed with everything that happened, and…” Dean thins his lips, grabbing his tail to pet it. “And when you immediately left to go to Meg, I thought you just didn’t care.” 

Cas squeezes his arm, his scent spiking with anger towards himself. Dean quickly opens his mouth to try and remedy it. “I knew coming into this that you were going to be busy with everything else that you do. Being a leader of a large group can’t be easy. So … I knew, really. I just …” Dean sighs, rubbing his face, then looking at the ceiling. Is he really about to say this?

“Dean?” Cas asks, rubbing his arm, his scent shifting to concern. 

Well, it’s now or never.

“I just didn’t take into account actually falling for you,” It comes out as a whisper, but he knows the alpha heard him. There are unshed tears in Dean’s eyes, making his vision blurry. Fuck, why is he about to cry? 

“Dean,” Cas says, squeezing his arm, “look at me, please.” Cas cups Dean’s face and gently turns his head. “You have to know, deep down, you must know you’ve been fighting against something that you didn’t want to win against. Not truly.” 

“What do you mean?” Dean frowns. He knows he’s been fighting himself for as long as he met Cas, but how would Cas know that? 

Cas gives a small, sad, smile. “We are true mates.” 

Dean feels his eyes bug out of his head. What? “If that’s true…” Dean starts slowly, “w-why didn’t you ever say anything? That’s- I-” 

True mates? Dean’s head is struggling to wrap around the thought. It would make sense. Why he always felt such a strong pull toward Cas, why his scent had such an effect on him, why he seemed to trust him when he had every reason not to. 

“I didn’t want to force you into it. Just because we are true mates, doesn’t mean we should have just jumped into this with no precautions. We needed to ‘test the waters,’ as my brother would say.” 

Dean opens his mouth, but closes it a second later. What do you say to something like this? What should he feel? He doesn’t know anymore. 

_“Try including him more.”_ Meg’s words echo in his mind. _“From what I saw of you at the hospital, I have a feeling you’re still trying to do this on your own. Include him, trust me, he’ll be thrilled.”_

“There’s something I want...” Dean trails off, moving the tray of food to the bottom of the bed. He twists to his nightstand, where his clothes are folded. Reaching in the pocket of his leather jacket, he pulls out the sonogram Meg took. He turns back, resting himself against his pillow. He stares at it before holding it out to Cas. “Here.”

Cas stares down at it with wide eyes. 

“I want you to have it. I mean, if you … if you want it. It was just a thought, but-”

“I would love to have this,” Cas says, cutting him off with a soft smile. 

And damn if that smile isn’t dazzling. 

Dean meets his eyes, watching as the light from the window reflects off them, turning them different shades of blue. Dean takes a breath, captivated. He’s never been this close to Cas and been able to appreciate him like this. He never would have allowed himself before today.

Cas’ eyes flick to Dean’s lips, both of them gravitating toward one another. 

“Kiss me, Cas,” Dean softly says.

Cas obliges. He cups the back of Dean’s neck, hand covering the pressure point, and his lips press softly against Dean’s. Dean leans into him more, his hands coming up to grab at the alpha, pulling him closer, trying to entice him. Cas nips at Dean’s bottom lip and Dean opens up for him. Cas explores Dean’s mouth, hands getting a grip in Dean’s hair.

Dean moans and just as he’s about to pull Cas on top of him, the sound of a door bursting open rips Dean and Cas apart. Dean gasps, eyes darting to the bedroom door. “What the hell?” Dean whispers. Cas’ wings flare and he’s off the bed in a second.

“Dean?!” Sam’s panicked voice comes from the living room. 

Sam? Dean glances back at Cas when he hears a low growl to see the alpha glaring over at the door, straightening out his clothes, but all hostility now leaving his body. 

“Sammy, in here,” Dean says, running a hand through his hair and over his ear. 

The door opens and Sam lumbers in. He looks like he’s been running his hands through his hair, making it stick up.

“Man, I’m tellin’ you, give me five minutes with a pair of clippers,” Dean says, a smile working its way on his face. 

Sam rolls his eyes, a faint smile forming, and huffs. “I knew I should have come down.” The smile fades away and he looks him over with large puppy eyes. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m okay, Sam,” Dean says as his brother comes to his side, looking him over. 

“Smells more than okay,” Gabriel whistles as he walks into the room, popping a lollipop in his mouth. “Did we interrupt something?” 

“I suspect you came because you heard about what happened?” Cas says in lieu of answering. 

“That’s part of it,” Gabriel hums, sitting on a chair, his golden wings spreading over the back. “How you feelin, Dean-o? Kit okay?” 

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Y’know, just a day in my life now.” 

Gabriel chuckles, “Welcome to the club.”

“What was the other part?” Cas asks, apparently not in the mood to socialize today.

“Oh, why we came down?” Gabriel arches a brow at Sam who nods, pulling out his laptop, setting it on the nightstand and pulling over a chair to sit in. He pulls out a flash drive and puts it in a USB port. 

“So get this,” Sam says as the laptop starts up. “I was doing some research,” 

“And by research, he means fieldwork,” Gabriel cuts him off, making Sam glare at him. Gabriel shrugs. “Better bite the bullet from the get-go than later.” Dean’s eyes widen and Cas straightens up beside him. Gabriel raises his hands before Cas and say anything though, and says, “I was with him, obviously. I figured it would be better to be doing something productive than sitting on our asses all day.” 

Cas narrows his eyes. “And you didn’t think it pertinent to _inform_ me of this decision?” Cas growls, his Pakhan voice coming out. 

“I was going to, but you happened to be extremely busy recently.” Gabriel gestures to their surroundings.

Cas doesn’t stop glaring at his brother. “You better have found something good.” 

“We did,” Sam cuts in. “Turns out, Alistair is working for someone else. We tailed Alistair to a club and I was able to get Gabriel into a vent so he could listen in to a conversation Alistair was having with someone.”

“How were you able to fit into a vent with your wings?” Dean asks.

“Bound them babies to my back. It was still a tight fit, but I was the only option. There was no way Gigantor was getting in there.” 

Sam rolls his eyes and clicks on a video on his laptop. “The only thing is, nobody was in the room with Alistair. He was having a meeting through a computer. But we think this could be the ring leader for the slave-trading.” Sam’s eyes linger on Dean and he thins his lips. “They were talking about you.” 

Dean’s heart jumps and he instinctively grabs Cas’ hand. Cas squeezes his hand back, his wing wrapping around his shoulders.

“Play it,” Cas says. 

Sam turns back to the laptop and presses play. 

On the screen, they can see through the bars of a vent, and Alistair is sitting behind a desk. The room is dark, but Dean will never forget that bastard or his nasally voice. Said voice crackles through the laptop’s speakers.

_“Ms. Masters was dealt with, she will live, like you asked.”_

_“Good,”_ A warped voice says from the computer. _“You will be paid tonight. And what of Dean?”_

 _“He's been injected with the first dose, though you should have gone about this in a different way. How are you planning on getting him_ _again?"_ Alistair asks, pouring himself a drink, and leaning back in his chair.

_"Leave that for me to worry about. You have your own job to worry about. I trust you know what to do?"_

_Yes, I know. But_ I _want to renegotiate our deal about Dean.”_

Dean’s heart sinks to his stomach and he straightens up in the bed, hearing those words come out of Alistair's mouth. 

_“That is not part of the deal.”_ The voice sounds angry.

_“Yes, well, as I am the one doing most of the heavy lifting around here,”_

_“Most of the heavy lifting? Do I need to remind you who you are speaking with, Alistair?”_

_“Of course not. Though it would entice me to do a much better job if I had something … more … to look forward to.”_ Alistair leers, leaning toward the computer, elbows on the desk.

_“What do you want?”_

_“I want a full day to do whatever I please with him before I hand him over to you.”_

The other man doesn’t speak and Dean feels like he’s about to throw up. Why are they after him? Why do they want him so badly? This obviously isn’t about Alistair wanting Dean anymore. Dean thought Alistair wanted him because he used to piss him off by beating up his men. But this... this is something bigger, much more complicated. 

_“You will leave no scars. Do not damage my product, or it will be your head.”_

There’s a beep to signify the call has ended and the video goes black. Dean lets out a shaky breath that he didn’t realize he’s been holding. 

“So they plan on selling me.” He doesn’t say it as a question.

“It will never happen,” Cas snarls. “We will stop him before he can do anything.” Cas turns to Gabriel and Sam. “This is your main priority, both of you. Find the man on the computer.”

 **✦** **✧** **✦**

Cas comes over from picking up the chinese at the elevator and places it on the coffee table in the living room. Dean is cuddled up in some blankets that Cas wrapped around him. Cas hands him the chicken Dean ordered and takes his own, sitting on the couch right beside Dean, his wings relaxing over the back. 

The smell of the chicken wafts under his nose and makes his mouth water. It feels like it’s been a long time since he had a full meal and he’s starving. Dean digs in, humming as the flavors burst through his mouth. 

“This is delicious,” Dean moans, mouth full.

Cas smiles at him. “Good, I’m glad to see Red hasn’t affected your appetite.” 

Cas’ phone starts ringing a second later and the alpha sighs, annoyance in his scent. “I need to take this,” Cas says, getting up and walking out onto the balcony. Dean can still see him through the glass doors. The wind must be blowing, his hair and feathers swaying gently. It looks cold out. Tearing his eyes from his alpha, he eyes what Cas got. Sesame tofu.

Pursing his lips, he takes his fork and spears a cube, popping it in his mouth and putting one of his chicken pieces on Cas’ plate. His eyebrows raise as he takes in the flavor. It’s actually … really good. Damn it.

Sam would be proud of him.

He looks up when he feels eyes on him and he glances over his shoulder, Cas is smiling at him through the glass doors. He totally just saw him take his food. Keeping eye contact, Dean speaks another tofu piece and eats it. It makes a big, goofy, smile creep onto Cas’ face and he shakes his head. Dean smiles too before putting some more of his own food on Cas’ plate.

“Would you like more of it?” Cas says when he comes back inside.

Dean chuckles. “I mean, I’ll never turn down good food.” 

Cas stabs a piece and offers it to Dean like he's expecting to feed it to him. Dean eyes it, then looks at Cas, realizing that's exactly what he's doing. Dean tries, he really does, to stop the blush from showing on his cheeks, but from the glint in Cas’ eyes he has a feeling he failed. He opens his mouth and takes the piece of food, not able to keep eye contact. 

It’s unheard of for omegas to be fed by their alphas. Hundreds of years ago, omega were forced to eat sitting on the floor, but it was beneath an alpha to hand feed them. Dean keeps his eyes down as he takes his fork and scoops a piece of chicken, placing it on Cas’ plate again. When he looks up, Cas is staring at the little pile of chicken that’s been accumulating as if he hasn’t seen a piece of chicken before in his life, only just now noticing Dean has been putting the chicken there. He looks up at Dean.

“You don’t need to give me your food, Dean.”

Dean glares at him. “I’m not gonna jip you of your food and not give you some in return. It’s only fair.” Cas looks genuinely pleased about Dean giving him food. Dean doesn’t really understand, but hey, if it makes him smile like that, he’ll do it more often.

“Thank you, Dean.”

Dean feels the blush returning, albeit not as fierce as before. “It’s no big deal, just some chicken.”

Cas shakes his head. “Regardless.” He spears another piece. “Would you like more?” 

“You gonna keep trying to feed me?” 

“I would like to, yes,” Cas says, matter of factly.

Dean licks his lips, eyeing the tofu. “Isn’t it embarrassing?” 

Cas squints at him like he’s contemplating something. “Nobody is here but us, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.” He regards Dean. “In Russia, alphas often feed their omegas like this. I am aware it is uncommon in America, but I would like to if it is okay with you.”

He’s right, there’s nothing he needs to be embarrassed about with just them here. He should love the attention his alpha is willing to give him. And he does, really does. But he’s just admitted to falling for Cas today. He’s going to need time to get used to allowing himself to be pampered like this. This is the kind of attention omegas only dream of. But, it’s Cas’ culture, so he should do it, right?

“Okay,” Dean says. “But only if you use my food. I’m not stealing all of yours.”

Cas seems very pleased by this. So much so that he doesn’t even argue that Dean isn’t stealing his food, he simply takes Dean’s food and starts feeding him with a content smile in his eyes. It’s a little embarrassing at first, but Dean slowly finds himself relaxing and allowing himself to enjoy it.

“It’s been a long time since I have relaxed like this,” Cas says, watching him, his smile hasn’t left once. “I’m starting to think you may be good for me.” 

“Well, gee, Cas,” Dean chuckles, batting his eyelashes at him. “only maybe?”

Cas smiles, taking a bite of his food, his posture relaxed, and the skin by his eyes are crinkled. “Only maybe.”


End file.
